Save the Last Dance for Me
by WordyAndRestless
Summary: AU. Tonks is getting married but not to Remus for reasons she can't bear to tell him. Remus struggles to get her back while helping his friend settle into a new life out of Azkaban. Love is such a complicated thing.
1. So Close to the Dancing Fire

**Author's Note:**

Hmm, I probably should be starting another fic, but I have no problem working on multiple ones at the same time. I'll finish them though, no worries there. ^_^ So this fic I got the idea when I was listening to a few songs while watching the Harry Potter trailers on youtube. Does anyone else notice that when Remus and Tonks comes on, there's a huge 'emotional' on the screen? That just makes me so sad knowing their ending. Anyways, so I got these various ideas that I've incorporated into my stories. Now I would have tried to push the ideas into my other fics, but then it wouldn't fit right, so I decided to write this one. For some reason I really like the idea of this new fic, personally. In a lot of the chapters I'll be making references to some songs that I heard and use them along with telling the story. I hope you're not too confused by my note haha, sorry about that. Please read and enjoy the story. Thank you. Thank you for reading and reviewing. ^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter 01 – So Close to the Dancing Fire<strong>

At the end of a winding road where those who did not know the way would be forever lost, sat a large glass house, modern, concealed within miles of rolling hills and hidden under the stars and clouds. It was a large house, built by magic and improved by technology. It was home to two people, a black sheep from the house of Black, and a colorful metamorphmagus.

The front door to her large but messy modern house suddenly felt so heavy. Nymphadora Tonks, a young witch with a pale heart shape face and a naturally colorful personality, returned home late in the evening, yawning and about ready for a quick meal and hop into bed. Her bubblegum pink hair had lost its glow by around five in the afternoon as her eyelids grew heavy. That day, work had been nothing but the usual for her, having to follow up on false claims of Dark Arts being practiced and Dark Objects being present, and then writing reports until her hands felt like they were about to fall off. Tonks took a few steps into the large house where the bright lights suddenly blinded her. She grumbled as she toppled over onto the long leather couch scattered with magazines and various containers of food.

"_I wish Lexi would tell me how to turn off the sensors on those stupid lights_," Tonks thought to herself, wishing that wherever the house's owner was, she'd suddenly trip and fall as revenge for the lights blinding Tonks every night. The house's owner was Alexis Black, of whom Tonks fondly referred to as Lexi, Tonks' last remaining cousin from the Black family that isn't mentally insane, locked up in Azkaban, or wants her dead. A brief image of the petite, pixie woman a year Tonks' senior laughing at her made Tonks grumble and shake her head again.

She sighed and pushed herself off the rather comfy sofa and over into the kitchen in search of some food. The kitchen that once was clean and organized when Alexis still lived there looked like a battlefield after the girl had left for France, leaving Tonks alone with the house a year ago. Tonks looked around and her eyes brightened when she found her Chinese take-out in the nearly empty refrigerator from the night before. The thing about Ted Tonks, Tonks' father, being a muggle was that he also greatly influenced his daughter and niece in the way of the muggles, particularly about the knowledge of take-out food and muggle appliances.

Wasting no time, Tonks stuffed her face full of the fried rice that she quickly heated up with a charm she'd learned from her mother, another member of the ancient house of Black, a black sheep, Andromeda Tonks nee Black. Her attention turned to the pile of mail on the window sill. She walked over to pick up the pile, forcing herself to at least sort through the mail before she fell asleep. Tonks frowned when she saw the sender of the first letter on her pile.

_Good evening to my fiancée Tonks, from Evan Rosier._

She tossed the letter away with her free hand while scooping up rice with a fork using her other. Her fiancé Evan was the arrogant aristocrat type and each night she'd go home to another letter from him, boasting about the growth of his company and such matters that she really didn't care about. She'd dated him once back in school. He was a Slytherin while she was a Hufflepuff, an odd mix already. She thought she'd fallen in love with him. That is until she realized she'd long fallen for someone else, a familiar and friendly face from her childhood who had acted as a close friend to her all throughout those years. She'd fallen for an old bookworm professor with a furry little problem, and after two years of unrequited love, Tonks still wasn't sure if she was completely over the bookworm or not. She sighed and when she thought of him, his light brown hair flecked with grey, his youthful but tired appearance, and his sweet, warm and tender, alluring blue eyes that had so much depth, she nodded and knew she still felt something strong towards him. So why was she marrying Evan Rosier and not him?

That was a question that had another long story that came with it. Tonks subconsciously placed her palm gently over her flat belly as she continued sifting through the letters. A lot of them were greetings from old friends and she tossed them aside, seeing no importance in them just yet. Her eyes slightly lit up when they fell on a tan envelope marked with a boxy elegant scroll that she would recognize anywhere. Tonks quickly opened the letter and read it.

_Nymphadora Tonks!_

_I know I should be happy but…what do you mean you're engaged? I don't get it. What the hell happened to Moony? You were just mooning over him on your last letter and now you're engaged…to Evan Rosier? Bloody Rosier, really? And why does it look like you were crying over this letter? What happened? I just pushed my next line of cases over to Pierre and I'm coming back to England RIGHT NOW! Hell, it'll take a day or two to sort everything out but I'm coming back there. Something is definitely wrong and I won't be returning to France until you tell me exactly what happened. You better be there and ready to talk when I get back._

_From a very surprised and worried Alexis Black!_

_P.S. Read the prophet. I saw it this morning and meant to check if Moony's alright._

Tonks couldn't help but smile a little after reading her dear cousin's letter. It was nice to know that someone cared enough about her to travel all the way back from France even without knowing what in the world was wrong. She laughed wryly. Leave it to Alexis to make such good use of question marks and exclamation points. Tonks turned from the letter and looked down at her left hand for a moment, trying to admire that large diamond on the sparkling engagement ring. It was beautiful in all honesty, but somehow, it didn't feel right. It didn't fit.

The _Daily Prophet_ was the next thing that sat on her pile of mail. The bolded headline on the prophet was the thing that caught her attention. She skimmed it once, her eyes widening with shock. Afterwards, Tonks' eyes raced down to the article and skimmed it quickly until she found the gist of what happened and his name on there. Her heart was racing now and without a second thought, Tonks rushed out of the house, leaving the door ajar while she slipped her boots back on and hopped outside to apparate. The newspaper was still in her hand when she left and the headline was still flashing in bold black printed letters.

**HOGWARTS D.A.D.A. PROFESSOR A WEREWOLF!**

Standing outside Remus Lupin's apartment in a lower place of Diagon Alley, Tonks banged loudly on the front door. She drummed so loud she swore she heard a yelp from one of the neighbors inside their homes. Tonks tapped her foot impatiently by the door, holding the newspaper tightly in her hand in a vice like grip.

The door slowly opened and she was met with a tired Remus Lupin. Tonks' eyes softened a bit looking at his state. She'd forgotten a full moon had passed by. "Hello Nymphadora."

"Don't call me Nymphadora Remus," Tonks retorted without malice but as a force of habit whenever someone called her by her dreaded first name. She handed him the newspaper. "What happened?" she asked in a more stern voice. "Was this the reason you'd quit teaching?"

Remus had returned from Hogwarts just a few days ago, looking down, depressed, and thoroughly beaten by the pull of the moon. Tonks had spent the night talking with him, happily avoiding her date and dinner with Evan and his parents as she and Remus drank and read in companionable silence beside his fire. He'd told her he quit his teaching job at Hogwarts, but he never told her why and the look in his eyes told her not to press. She didn't understand however, because Tonks knew that Remus loved his teaching job.

He rubbed his face and let out a heavy sigh as he moved away from the door, silently inviting her in. "Take a seat, we'll talk," he spoke softly.

Tonks was still worried. As if the headline and article in the _prophet_ hadn't done enough damage to the poor man's ego, Tonks could see the stiff movements in his joints were serving as awful reminders to him about his lycanthrope identity. She walked in, but instead of taking a seat she took a gentle hold of his arm and carefully walked over to their seats beside the fire together. As an engaged woman, Tonks knew she should be trying to pull further apart from Remus, but she just couldn't control herself, not when they have known each other for so long. She'd been by his side when he lost all his closest friends in one night and he was like a very close friend to her over the years as she grew up.

"Can you tell me what exactly happened? You loved your teaching job," she spoke softly.

Remus nodded. "It was something I'd love to do for years on end," he smiled a bit bitterly. "Unfortunately, after an…accident…with Severus Snape on this last full moon, Severus let it slip to the students that I'm a werewolf. Afterwards, I'm forced to quit my position. I heard from Minerva that the owls were already coming in, questioning Dumbledore about his judgment letting me teach. I didn't want to make it harder for him by staying for another year."

"Snape," Tonks hissed. "He'd do anything for that position. Remus, are you alright?"

As he thought about that night, Remus remembered that though he lost his teaching job, he'd regained something far more valuable than a job that night, something in terms of an old friend. He shook his head and smiled, looking up at Tonks with a little bit more mirth than before. "I'm fine actually. I'm used to it. I'll just have to go and look for another job soon."

"This headline just made it harder for you though," she sighed, glancing at the dreadful _Daily Prophet_. "Are you sure you'll be ok?"

"I'll be ok Nymph…" he paused and smirked at the teasing warning look Tonks gave him. "Dora, I'll be ok. I lost my job but through that experience I regained something far more important," he smiled to himself.

"What is that?" Tonks asked curiously, chucking the paper into the blazing fire and watching as the stupid headline burned in the dancing flames.

"I'll reveal it to you when the time is right," Remus nodded. "It'll be soon though."

"Whenever you want Remus," she smiled slightly.

"So Alexis wrote to me this morning," Remus began. "She's returning so suddenly?"

Tonks smiled fleetingly and nodded, fidgeting with a loose thread on her left glove. "I came home this evening and found a very expressive letter from her on my window sill." She spoke in a soft voice, very uncharacteristic from her natural blunt and loud expressions. Tonks' eyes were shifting between Remus and the warm, dancing flames that entranced her.

"What's the reason?" Remus asked. He knew just as well as Tonks that Alexis Black had decided to leave England for France because of a very large reason and was bemused as to what big thing had happened that had caused her to return so suddenly.

"Uh…me actually," Tonks replied. "You know."

"The engagement?" Remus asked. His tone was suddenly sad. He had been one of the first people Tonks informed about her engagement to Evan and she still remembered the way he looked that day, the way all the light and hope seemed to have left his eyes when she visited him at Hogwarts to tell him the news.

Tonks nodded but didn't speak anymore. Instead she placed a hand over her flat stomach and her eyes grew distant in thoughts.

"I'm happy for you," Remus suddenly spoke. What he said was true, however there was more to that truth than Tonks ever knew. Remus knew she'd fallen for him, but he'd deemed it as a silly crush because after all, he'd been her friend and support beam for years. He too knew he felt something for her, but in no way was Remus going to let Tonks sacrifice everything in her life for him and his lycanthropy. Tonks was going to marry Evan Rosier, a man with the looks, power, and money. Remus should be happy for her and ignore all the longing desires he had within him. He was too old, too poor, and too dangerous for her. He should be glad she was finally seeing the light and not depressed over the thought of him not loving her.

"Really?" Tonks asked softly in a shaky voice.

Remus nodded, though he wanted to tell her the entire truth, how he cared so much for her as well, how he held the same feelings she once held for him as well, but she was engaged and he'd already lost his chance.

"Lexi should be back some time tomorrow," Tonks spoke. "She's determined to shake the explanation out of me by force if she has to. That's the impression I got from her letter."

"Why would she need an explanation?" Remus asked. "Don't you want to marry Evan?"

Tonks only stared at her abdomen and the unfitting yet beautiful ring on her hand.

Remus leaned forward from his chair. He held himself back from taking her hand and feeling her soft, smooth skin under his as he spoke to her. He had to fight and constantly remind himself not to get lost in her eyes. He must get over her because she was over him and he should be happy. Tonks deserved much more than a tattered old werewolf with no job.

"Everything will be fine in the end. Things always have a way of just falling into place," Remus tried to smile to and comfort her. He was also trying to comfort himself as well. Maybe after Tonks gets married, he could finally convince himself once again that he was meant to be alone for life because of his lycanthropy. "I won't press on," he smiled warmly. "Because if I know the Black blood well, Alexis would press it out of you." That caused a small smile to appear from Tonks' red lips. "Would you like some tea?"

"Coffee please, Remus," she smiled, missing those nights where they'd just talk and talk.

"How are you going to sleep?" he smiled but still began to make her coffee anyways.

"Believe it or not, coffee helps me sleep better," she smiled, following him to the kitchen.

As if her clumsiness thought then would be a good time for a visit, Tonks tripped over one of his wooden stools. Luckily Remus had caught her in time, his solid strong arm wrapping protectively around her waist as he pulled her up. His hold on her lingered for a moment, and Remus forced himself to let go while Tonks longed for that second of closeness to last just a little bit longer, like he did. Together they were lost in each others' gaze for a moment, a lingering moment. Tonks' dark, soulful eyes met Remus' soft blue, tender ones. They both forcibly blinked and broke apart abruptly, hearts flustered and yearning for more.

"You're still awfully clumsy as ever Dora," Remus chuckled a bit longingly.

Tonks wished she wasn't engaged to Evan and subconsciously rubbed her stomach as unwanted memories of a night full of mistakes flashed back into her mind. "Yeah I should probably work on my coordination," she smiled. Tonks knew she would have to as soon Remus wouldn't be able to catch her when she fell anymore and if she fell she'd hurt not just herself…

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><p><em>It was Tonks' seventh year, her last year at Hogwarts and she was eighteen, about to take her N.E.W.T. exams. That night had been the night of the Graduation Formal, a ball where only last year students were allowed to attend and it was a dance looked forward to all year for the students. It was the equivalent of the muggle prom to many. Unfortunately for Tonks, her relationship with her cheating boyfriend Evan Rosier had just ended after she found out he'd been cheating on her with Amelia Greengrass, a Slytherin in their year. Tonks had spent the past three nights crying. She thought what she had with Evan had been love, but she obviously was wrong. Perhaps she didn't know what love really is. That night she had taken her broom and snuck out of school, choosing rather to spend the night alone beside a river she didn't know the name of rather than attend the ball and break into tears again.<em>

_A warm hand was suddenly placed on her shoulder, causing Tonks to turn around from gazing at the flowing river. Her eyes were red and her face was stained with tears. She looked up to see the kind and gentle face of a young but tired Remus Lupin looking at her with a warm gaze. He lifted her up to her feet with no effort at all and silently wiped her tears._

_"Dora why are you here all alone?" he asked softly while wiping away her tears gently._

_She shook her head. "I don't want to see his face," she sobbed weakly._

_"Why did you choose to miss the dance for him?" Remus asked in the most gentle and velvety voice she could ever hear. "Tell me who made you cry," he asked in almost a whisper._

_Tonks shook her head again and rested her head on his shoulder in defeat. "I don't want to think about it anymore," she replied weakly._

_Remus wrapped his warm, protecting arms around her in a loving embrace. He held her tightly for a moment, silently reassuring her before letting go. Remus held her by her arms and looked at her gently. "Whoever he is, he's not worth your tears. Only cry for those who love you, but remember, those who love you won't make you cry."_

_She smiled a bit. Remus always made her smile for no apparent reason, even when he's not being funny. They've been friends for years, ever since Sirius brought him home many years ago, and they've stayed friends ever since, mainly because Tonks needed the strong, protecting man that he was in her life and she always loved talking to him._

_"Aren't you going to return to the dance? If you miss it you'll regret it. Trust me."_

_Tonks shook her head again. "I'd rather dance here than there," she joked._

_Remus suddenly smiled. "Whatever you want Nymphadora," he spoke in a lighter tone. Tonks watched as he suddenly pulled his wand out and muttered some spell under his breath. There was suddenly a small record player sitting on a table beside them. Remus was magically in a neat and sleek black dress robe while Tonks was in a beautiful soft pink strapless dress. Her eyes brightened and a smile failed to conceal itself on her face. They both stood under the soft moonlight as Remus flashed a Marauder like smirk._

_"I know I'm too old for this, but I don't want you to pass this night without dancing since it's a dance most girls your age look forward to all year," he smiled shyly. "Nymphadora, may I have this last dance?"_

_Tonks smiled, looking up at the man who seemed so young and attractive and smiled. Remus definitely knew how to cheer her up, it was almost like a natural thing to him. "Yes."_

_Remus chuckled as he gently placed his hand on her waist and took her other hand, holding her close. Tonks felt her heart beat rapidly as she stared into his tender blue eyes. Her heart skipped a few beats when he smiled and then raced to catch up on those missing beats afterwards. Tonks definitely had never felt that way with Remus Lupin before. Her stomach was in knots, but it was such a good feeling that she yearned for it to last forever._

_"Nice choice of location," Remus teased and made her laugh softly._

_"Only you could make me laugh with tear streaks still on my face," she sighed._

_"I'm glad then. And besides, I'm gaining a little out of this as well," he smiled. "I never did get to attend my last dance at Hogwarts either."_

_"Why is that?" Tonks asked, following his footsteps while they swayed._

_"Unfortunately it was on a full moon." He tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear._

_"Well at least you get to sort of experience it now," she smiled and he laughed._

_"Anything to get you to smile again Nymphadora," he laughed. Tonks realized how pleasant Remus' laugh was and how addicting it sounded. "I usually wouldn't do something like this. You seem to bring out a different side to me," he commented._

_"This side seems just as nice as the other," Tonks commented. "And Remus you've got to stop calling me Nymphadora."_

_"I can't, I think it's getting stuck," he teased, feeling young again even under the moon._

_Tonks glowed as she danced with him. She'd never expect that her last dance at Hogwarts would turn out like that. She always thought she'd spend the night with Evan, but being with Remus gave her a much warmer, tender feeling than Evan ever did._

_"This is…a wonderful way to spend my last dance. I feel so special," she smiled._

_"I'm glad you saved the last dance for me then," Remus teased._

Her dream suddenly ended when Tonks wanted it to last forever. It was that night that Tonks realized she was falling for Remus Lupin, all because of his inability to do nothing when he saw her cry. Tonks woke up in the morning, her body feeling weird, as if she yearned for something, warmth perhaps. She rolled over on her empty bed, nearly falling on the floor. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes awake, Tonks yawned and forced herself into the bathroom. Once she was done and her work robes were all set, she made her way downstairs. That morning she took a quick glance around the warzone of a house and made a mental note to herself to clean the place up before her partial OCD cousin returned, otherwise Alexis would reach a breaking point and end up cleaning the house inside and out for a whole week.

Tonks' eyes fell on the cool, charming face of a young man three years older than her, age twenty-five. Cold, baby blue eyes met hers and gave her a flirtatious look that if given four years ago, Tonks' knees might just have buckled. She gave them a quick, uninterested glance, unaffected by his charm as she flashed him a smile.

"Did you have a bad night's sleep dear?" Evan asked in a sickly smooth and haughty voice with innuendo as he wrapped his long, muscular arms around her.

Tonks shook her head. She didn't feel protected in his hold, she felt absolutely nothing. "Evan why are you over so early in the morning and how'd you get in?"

"You left the door open," he smirked. It was a sly, attractive smirk, one with a hidden agenda that Tonks had gotten used to when they were dating but now, she was kind of sick of it. "I came over early to see if you were free for lunch or dinner. We need to have another meeting with my parents. They want to choose a name already," he sighed.

"I'm not too sure when I'll be home though. Work's been pretty busy lately," Tonks replied. "Besides, names already? I don't even know if it'll be a boy or a girl."

"I just hope the baby will be a metamorphmagus like you though," Evan smiled and kissed her cheek. "It's quite a useful ability to have."

Tonks rolled her eyes. She didn't know if she should take it as a compliment or not.

"Do you want me to walk you to your work place?"

"I don't mind. I don't want to trouble you Evan," Tonks replied, trying to be happy.

"Let's go then. I need to pay a visit to Dolores Umbridge anyways. We've got something to discuss," Evan smiled as he put his arm around Tonks' waist, pulling her a bit forcefully closer to him as he once again proved to her that he was the dominant one in their relationship and soon to be marriage as well. Tonks only rolled her eyes and rubbed her abdomen.

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><p>When they arrived at the Ministry, Tonks parted with her fiancé with a simple, dry goodbye kiss on the lips as Evan headed for Dolores Umbridge's office while Tonks headed for the farm of cubicles the Auror department was. After Evan had left her, Tonks remembered the few pointless conversation topics she'd had with Remus the night before while sitting beside his fire and chatting. A smile danced across her face as she made her way down to her own cubicle, smiling and greeting many of her fellow Aurors along the way.<p>

"Tonks, I need you to ask Mad-Eye if he can take this case for me," Kingsley Shacklebolt suddenly spoke, pulling Tonks back as he sifted through a large pile of papers. Kingsley was a tall, black wizard with broad shoulders, bald, and a gold loop earring that sometimes made him look like a pirate. He had an oddly deep and reassuring voice however, and hearing him speak somehow made Tonks' burden lighten a bit.

She laughed and shook her head. "Mad-Eye's retired Kingsley," she reminded him. The poor guy hadn't gotten used to not having Mad-Eye Moody around the office screaming _constant vigilance_ every five minute just yet.

A disappointed look crossed the black wizard's face. "Aw, well you wouldn't be able to take this report over for me would you?" he smiled hopefully.

"I nearly forgot," Tonks teased as she nodded. "Kingsley Shacklebolt _hates_ paperwork."

"Ain't that a fact," Kingsley nodded and handed her a file. "I just need you to take this down to the Beast Division on level four and return this to Sierra Rhodes and tell her she made a mistake with some of the names," he briefed. "Tonks are you ok? You look a little pale."

"I'm always pale King," she lied and smiled through tired eyes. "That's all?"

"That's all. See you later Tonks," he grinned and weaved around her, leaving.

Tonks didn't take a second glimpse at the file in her hand. She decided that she was going to drop off her pile of reports and robes in her cubicle first before journeying over to the Beast Division where she was sure Sierra already hated her enough for various reasons. As Tonks neared her cubicle, she quirked an eyebrow towards the commotion. There were two people standing at the entrance to her cubicle. One was a very beautiful woman, twenty-three, with soft but defined features, looking as muggle as a witch could ever look in her simple black designer flannel and white skinny jeans. Her hair was black but with blonde highlights, a result of her rebellious nature during school, and the pixie like woman was waving her arms frantically trying talking to another wizard, a face Tonks had seen before around Dolores Umbridge's company.

"Non, non. Vous ne comprenez pas! Je n'ai pas besoin d'un traducteur qui ne parlent même pas anglais correct!" Alexis spoke quickly to the man.

"But mademoiselle, Madame Umbridge zed dat it v'ould be feeting for you to be accompanied by y translator du'ing yur veesit 'er," the man replied in a heavily accented voice.

Tonks' eyebrows shot up and realized why her dear cousin Lexi had reverted into speaking French to the man. She could barely understand him as it is. Tonks must have caught the two people's attention when Alexis' eyes fell on her and she was flashed one of the brightest grins of the century.

"Tonks!" Alexis beamed her airy angelical voice high. "You're late," she laughed.

"Mademoiselle," the man spoke again, regaining her attention.

"Go tell Umbridge that Alexis Black does not need a translator who can't even speak proper English! Good day monsieur!" She then turned to Tonks. "The Toad's watching me."

The man huffed and stormed away, heading towards the lifts for Umbridge's office no doubt. Tonks turned to her cousin and couldn't hold herself back from laughing. They pulled each other into a tight, sisterly hug as Alexis spoke something in French so fast Tonks couldn't even understand what sort of words came out of her mouth. She knew her cousin was witty but to pick up on a language so fast, she was a complete natural for the romance language!

"Lexi slow down," Tonks laughed a bit softer than normal. "You're speaking French."

"Sorry," Alexis laughed. "I'm just so happy to see you! And aren't you glad that I don't have an accent like him?" she teased, pointing in the direction the man went. "Anyways, I forgot to inform you but you're coming with me for the day."

"I'm happy to see you too cuz and what?" Tonks replied, completely surprised.

"I already got it through with that Scrimgeour guy. As a lawyer, I have the option to request an Auror to aid me in my work, and it just so happens that I was able to pull a couple strings for you to be the Auror assigned to me," she winked. "Though I was a bit surprised when I jumped into the office, hoping to surprise Mad-Eye Moody and scream _constant vigilance_ in his face, but I ended up with Rufus Scrimgeour. Why didn't you tell me Mad-Eye retired?"

Tonks shook her cousin slightly. Being away from Alexis for so long, she'd forgotten that the girl, though not spared of the many Black family genes passed down through her father, she still was also a motor mouth. The girl could speak faster than the Knight Bus could go.

"Lexi breathe!" Tonks cut her off. "What's this case I'm accompanying you in?"

Alexis leaned in closer to Tonks. "Nothing," she whispered and smirked. "I already got that handled," she laughed quietly and pulled back. Tonks should have expected it. Alexis never needed help with her work, being the devoted lawyer that she was. Her smirk made Tonks smile however, missing her dear cousin and the way her smirk gave off an aristocratic hauteur but was deep and somewhat meaningful as well in certain situations.

"Merlin I missed you," Tonks grinned. "So I get the day off?"

"Not quite," Lexi replied in a more mature tone. "You're taking the day off to explain to me what exactly happened with that letter you sent me. Sorry I would have waited until you got off work, but I honestly don't want to stay in Britain any longer than I have to."

"I understand," Tonks nodded, knowing clear and well that Alexis didn't even want to come back if not for her utter confusion and worry about Tonks' love life that desperately needed help and guidance. "Let me drop this file off and we can go home to talk."

"Tonks what's with all the commotion?" a soft and cheerful voice asked.

Tonks and Alexis both turned to see the shocked expression of a lean, slim and slender woman with sharp features and beautiful dark brown hair in sharp curls. She was Evelyn Stronghold, a long time friend of Tonks and Alexis and had once come close to becoming Alexis' sister-in-law. A wide, joyous grin broke across her face as she jumped and hugged Alexis tightly, definitely not expecting the Black to return so unexpectedly.

"Alexis!" she shrieked so loud the whole Auror department stopped momentarily.

"You're choking me," Lexi gasped, struggling to get out of the bear hug.

"Oh my goodness dear," Evelyn smiled. Though she was in her early thirties, she was still as hyper and bubbly as ever. "When did you return and what are you doing here?"

"I actually just got back this morning. I'm here on an emergency visit to my dear cuz."

Evelyn made a little pout. "So you won't be staying here long?"

Lexi shook her head apologetically. She looked like she wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, not wanting to be questioned by Evelyn, her ex-fiancé's older sister. "I'll be returning to France as soon as literally possible. Hell, I'd apparate back if I have to. Err, it's lovely to see you again Eve. But I sort of have somewhere important to go," she smiled.

Tonks suddenly found herself being pulled away from her cubicle. Luckily she'd managed to grab the folder Kingsley asked her to deliver before she stumbled behind Lexi, falling gracelessly into the lift. Tonks groaned and pushed herself up, glaring at her cousin and silently demanding an explanation as to why she'd been pulled out of her own cubicle when she hadn't even gotten the chance to sit down yet.

"Sorry cuz," Lexi smiled apologetically. "Eve is Deacon's older sister and if we didn't leave in about three seconds she was going to talk to me about him and I don't really want to be reminded of the past right now. Like I said, once I'm certain of what's going on with you, I'll be out of Britain faster than the Knight Bus could arrive."

"Alright," Tonks sighed, rubbing her forearm. "We'll find some place to talk, but I need to deliver this file to the Beast Division first. Accompany me there?"

"If she doesn't I will," Evan's haughty voice sounded as he walked into the lift. "I didn't expect to see you back so soon Alexis," he spoke, smirking at her.

Lexi glared at the man. She obviously didn't approve of Tonks' fiancé, knowing him all too well from their school years and knowing what he'd done to her beloved cousin before. Lexi crossed her arms and gave him an icy glare. "No worries, I'll be out of here before you know it."

"Be sure to come back to our wedding though," he smirked, taking Tonks' hand possessively as he openly checked Alexis out from head to toe. "You've lost weight."

"Gee, how bluntly nice of you," she replied. Tonks knew that arrogant stance was passed down from the Black family and only sighed at the disapproval she already got from her cousin.

* * *

><p>The wrought golden grills to the lift slid open just as an icy mechanical voice announced that they had arrived at level four of the Ministry of Magic. Tonks was quickly heading for the Beast Division to get the case into Sierra's hand, eager to leave with her cousin. Evan had his arm lightly around Tonks' waist while glancing at Alexis who walked on the other side of Tonks, still wearing her icy expression from seeing him.<p>

"Will you ladies be free for lunch today?" he asked in a flirty voice.

"Sorry Evan," Tonks replied dryly. "Lexi and I have some catching up to do."

"That's too bad. How about dinner then?" he asked, smirking. "I want to inform your dear cousin of the happy news," Evan smiled, his grin looking like the devil in Tonks' eyes.

"There's more happy news?" Alexis asked skeptically as she eyed Tonks.

"We'll talk later," Tonks whispered to her.

"I've got my cousin booked for dinner if you don't mind Evan," Alexis smirked.

"How can I help you today?" Sierra Rhodes asked in a happy voice until her eyes fell on Tonks and Evan. "Oh it's you," she snarled. "What do you need?"

Tonks handed her the file and couldn't wait to get out of there soon enough. "Kingsley told me to give this to you. He said you made some mistakes with the names."

"Oh so you're onto Kingsley now?" Sierra sneered.

"What are you talking about?" Tonks asked but then rolled her eyes.

Alexis simply crossed her arms and shook her head, massaging her temples with one hand as she was beginning to get an idea of what sort of situation her dear cousin had gotten herself in to. She feared she was going to have to stay in Britain a bit longer than expected.

Tonks was about to leave when the black door beside the counter suddenly opened. Curious, she turned around just to glance, but her eyes lingered a little bit longer when she saw Remus Lupin walking out. He wore a threadbare overcoat over shabby jumper and trousers, running a hand through his light brown hair while wearing a tired expression on his face and sighed heavily. Tonks suddenly turned around to greet him and smiled. She noticed that his deep blue eyes lit up significantly when he saw her.

"Nymphadora!" he smiled. "I didn't expect to see you today." Remus' eyes fell on the man who stood beside Tonks with his arms possessively around her waist. He sighed inwardly to himself, realizing how fitting the couple looked together and that he should get over his feelings for her. Remus had already decided that he would say nothing about how he felt for her, and so should start truly being happy for her for finding someone else. He forced a smile on his face, while secretly wishing he was in the man's place. "_That should be me,_" he thought.

Tonks smiled as Remus walked over. "Me neither," she smiled. "Guess who's back."

"Alexis!" Remus grinned, greeting her and shaking her hand kindly. "Glad you're back!"

"Aw Remus I missed you," Lexi smiled kindly, forgetting about the thorn at her side that Evan was being. "How have you been?" she asked with a bit of worry.

"Better. Thanks for your encouraging letter," he smiled. "Oh…and you are?"

"Evan Rosier," Evan smiled arrogantly as he and Remus shook hands. "Nymphadora's fiancé," he added, smirking a bit snidely at the kind man. "I didn't know you're friends."

"Don't call me Nymphadora," Tonks warned with a bit of edge in her voice as she glared at him. Tonks noticed Alexis crossed her arm again and was contemplating something. She chose to ignore it and turned to introduce Remus. "Remus Lupin. Now, what are you doing here?"

"I had to go complete the paperwork after what happened at Hogwarts, you know," he replied in a gentle, tired voice. Normally Remus would be opposed to people knowing he's a werewolf, but since it's been placed on the _Daily Prophet_, he could no longer hide.

"You're friends with a werewolf?" Evan asked, his eyes growing cold towards Remus.

"Yeah, something wrong with that?" Tonks replied sternly. "Remus here happens to be a very good friend of mine," she spoke in a voice daring him to challenge her.

Suddenly, Evan smirked which caused and steely snicker to come from Alexis. "Lovely," Evan replied. "I hope he could attend our engagement party then. This August. We haven't decided on a certain date yet though. But you are officially invited Mr. Lupin," he smirked again.

"Err, thank you Mr. Rosier," Remus replied a bit uncomfortably. "I have to go now. Have a good day Nymphadora," he smiled. "You too Alexis, drop by if you can."

"Actually," Lexi suddenly spoke up, a grin crossing her face as she gave Evan what looked like an _I-dare-you-to-counter-me_ smirk. "Remus I was wondering if you're free and we could sit down and have a drink later?"

"I have some appointments scheduled all throughout today," Remus frowned. "But I'll be free all day tomorrow if you'd like to drop by. There's also something I want to discuss with you girls as well," he smiled softly.

"That sounds great!" Alexis grinned. Tonks quirked an eyebrow. She thought Lexi was getting out of Britain as soon as she could. No matter, Tonks kept quiet. "We'll see you tomorrow Remus. Tonks has a day off tomorrow as well I'm sure."

After Remus left, Alexis turned to face Tonks and gave her that look Tonks recognized. She knew she might have to skip lunch and dinner explaining to her cousin what had exactly happened, or at least try to. Alexis had a stubborn nature to her and she was one of the few people who could press Tonks into truthfully revealing anything without the use of magic or Veritaserum. It was all in her eyes that bore straight through Tonks' defensive barrier, a trait perhaps many of the Black family possessed, even Tonks' mother.

* * *

><p>As you've noticed...Tonks is a little dreary and less cheerful than she'd normally in this first chapter. Spoiler: It will change, but there's a reason for her dreariness. I've already dropped a huge hint somewhere ;D<p>

So tell me what you think. Good? Bad? Terrible? Shoot me? (sorry don't own a gun)


	2. Reason Why I Dance This Way

**Author's Note:**

I hope the chapter isn't too confusing ^_^ I tend to be a little too wordy for my own good as well so if the chapter length is a bit too long, please tell me. I always feel that my chapters are a bit too long and have been trying to cut down a bit. Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy this and see the main conflict both Remus and Tonks faces. ^_^ Thanks for reading and review.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 02 – Reason Why I Dance This Way<strong>

_Guess I better walk away, without you.  
><em>_I don't want to be the one to turn my back so easily.  
><em>_I'm sorry but I'm walking away.  
><em>_But I really gotta do this now, before this love gets the best of me.  
><em>_I'm sorry but I'm walking away.  
><em>_Walk away, walk away, walk away, walk away…_

"Ah!" Alexis shrieked when she opened the door to her home she hadn't seen in almost a year. Even with her playful, airy angelical voice, Alexis' shriek of terror made the scream of a banshee seem like nothing compared to it. "My house!" she yelped, grabbing her hair.

The hours following the two girls' return home, Alexis had used her wand to conjure cleaning spells after cleaning spells while her hands were physically sorting through all the magazines and trash lying around. Tonks had tried to help, but after dropping three plates and nearly setting the couch on fire with a failed attempt at a cleaning spell, Tonks decided that maybe the most help she could give in terms of cleaning was to sit still and make no more trouble. She watched as her cousin quickly cleared up the remnants of the battlefield their house seemed to be in. Every time she passed by, Tonks noticed Alexis' dark brown, almost black eyes on her, seeming like they were piercing through Tonks' defensive barrier of a façade.

"I would help," Tonks began, feeling awkward when there was sudden silence. "But you knew I was never good at those cleaning spells. Unfortunately I took more after my dad than my mum," she mumbled seeming to herself but loud enough so Alexis could hear.

Alexis sat up from stacking a pile of _Daily Prophets_ and magazines beside the chimney. She grumbled something Tonks didn't understand while she pulled her black hair streaked with blonde highlights up with a butterfly clip.

"Lexi grumbling is not going to help," Tonks sighed and rolled her eyes. "If you want to talk just tell me when but why do you keep glaring at me whenever you pass by?"

The girl turned around to face Tonks, making her way over to the couch slowly while she massaged her temples with one hand. "Well," Alexis began as if listing her life's miseries. "My house is like a battlefield. Rosier's been here and _contaminated_ my floor. There's something up with Remus that I have to wait until tomorrow to find out."

She quirked an eyebrow at Tonks and Tonks inwardly nodded, noticing that there had been something that seems to be up with Remus lately. He was partially happy, but he seemed partially sad as well. It was as if a good thing and a bad thing had both fallen upon him.

"And," Alexis added. "There's something wrong with you," she pointed at Tonks. "You're not yourself. You have this mirthful façade on but it falls occasionally and I've noticed. And…if there's anyone else who knows your hair color better than me, that pink isn't blinding enough. You're unhappy but you're trying to hide it," Alexis spoke. Her words were as if they were the harsh truth that Tonks hadn't wanted to hear.

Tonks was surprised though. There were only two people in the world that could spot the slightest difference in her ever changing hair and immediately know how she's feeling, and one of them was the man Tonks was afraid to admit she still loved. The other was her black sheep cousin, Alexis Black. She was right. Tonks' pink hair wasn't the usual shade of bubblegum pink she'd worn before. It was a bit darker, paler, a shade down, and looking like it had been mixed with the slightest tinge of brown.

Lexi's worried gaze pierced a hole through Tonks' barrier the moment her cousin sat down in front of her and gave her that soft, completely serious look she'd rarely see. Tonks felt like she was about to fall apart and that sad song Alexis had replaying on their muggle stereo was only aiding in the process of pulling apart Tonks' mask.

"What happened?" Alexis asked in a stern voice, lacking her playful and airy edge.

Tonks was quiet for a moment, thinking through her words and fishing for the right way to put them. "I confronted Remus one night while he was still teaching at Hogwarts," Tonks began softly. "I told him how I felt because I just can't stand not knowing anymore. And…he said that I shouldn't love someone like him, that I deserved better, and left. He gave me excuses." Tonks sighed. For a man, any gentleman, whenever he gave you an excuse and walked away, it held the same meaning as a rejection. Tonks knew and she knew not to press.

"And you decide that to get over Moony who you've been crushing on for a little more than two years, you go and get yourself engaged to that cheating arse Rosier?" Lexi asked dryly.

"No, no there's more," Tonks defended. "I…it was a night full of mistakes," she sighed. "I went out to The Leaky Cauldron and thought that maybe some firewhiskey could help me clear up my mind temporarily. While I was there, I ran into Rosier…err Evan, and he was drinking too. Apparently he was drowning out his sorrows after Amelia Greengrass dumped him for a richer man. We talked, and I got so drunk. When I woke up the next morning…"

A crestfallen look was casted over Alexis' eyes as she looked at her cousin whose hair had morphed from pink back to her natural state, a beautiful mousy brown that to Tonks looked dreary and boring. Alexis watched in complete silence as Tonks dropped her head into her hands and emitted soft sobs that sounded like she was crying.

"I didn't want it to happen," Tonks sobbed quietly. "I just wanted to drink and forget about Remus for one night. I didn't expect to run into Evan and make so many mistakes," Tonks continued. She suddenly looked up at Alexis with dark eyes, reddened with tears and tear streaks still new on the pale, heart-shaped face. "Lexi, I'm three months pregnant with Evan's child."

"It's ok," Lexi comforted in a soft voice, taking it all in. "It'll be ok," she sighed, hugging Tonks' body as the girl trembled slightly, letting loose all the tears she'd bottled up for so long.

"I should be happy right?" Tonks sobbed, feeling like she was forcing out a smile. It looked bittersweet, almost like a grimace. "I should be happy that Evan's taking responsibility. I can't abandon this child. The baby's innocent," she sighed. "But I can't raise this child alone either. It'll need a father especially with a mum like me the baby will need a good father."

Alexis hugged Tonks and stroked her hair in what she hoped to be a comforting gesture. "You're only marrying Rosier because of this kid?"

Tonks nodded and mumbled something but Alexis couldn't quite understand her.

"Does Remus know?"

Tonks shook her head. "I…I can't even say the words to him. When I told him that I was engaged, I was going to break down. I can't tell him that I'm pregnant too and that it's the only reason why I married Evan in the first place."

"Cuz, I think as your friend, Remus deserves to know," Alexis advised. She didn't quite understand Tonks' position, but she had some relations to it. After all, Alexis had come close to being married once, and here Tonks was, engaged. Though she was also sure that Remus held the same feelings for Tonks as well, but why wouldn't he admit to it? Just seeing the way Remus and Tonks looked at each other, they are both deep in love with the other.

"I don't want to marry him," Tonks admitted through another fallen tear.

"You don't have to you know," Lexi spoke, being reminded of her own broken engagement to a man she once pictured she could spend the rest of her life with. "If you need help with the baby, I'm here. You still have your parents as well. And Remus…knowing him for the noble prat that he is, he'll help you out under the name of a friend."

Tonks shook her head. "This is my mistake and no one else should share the burden."

"Do you love Rosier?"

Tonks was quiet for a moment. "I…I feel nothing for him. After Remus…I've finally gotten a taste of love…and I can't love anyone else but him." Remembering Remus' gentle blue eyes, his kind and forgiving nature, and the many nights she'd spent in endless, comfortable conversations with him, Tonks laughed a very bittersweet laughter that harmonized with her secretly broken heart. "I'm a fool, correct? I've fallen in love with a man who doesn't love me."

Alexis sighed and rubbed the side of her cheek with her index finger. "I wouldn't be too sure about that," she spoke. "I can see it all from a third person point of view."

"It's too late now," Tonks shook her head. "I've made a huge mistake and it's too late to turn back. I'm passed the point of no return as you once said."

"Alright, you know what?" Alexis asked, dark eyes meeting dark eyes. "You are going to talk to Remus. You are going to tell him everything, and then take it from there."

"Lexi…I know what you're thinking. Evan and I can learn to love over time…"

"No excuses. Even if you don't want to, as your friend Remus has the right to know that his best friend is pregnant. Then afterwards, we'll take it from there. You can't marry Rosier if you don't love him. You know how he is. If it's anyone else, you can convince me that you can learn to love over time, but this is Evan Rosier we're talking about. I hate to bring this up but he's the arse who broke your heart. If he broke it once he won't hesitate to break it again."

Tonks sighed. If there's one thing she hadn't forgotten about Alexis was her clever reasoning and ability to remember the exact details of every single thing that happens. No wonder Lexi had been a true Ravenclaw according to the sorting hat. "You don't understand…"

"Tonks, you can be a noble prat yourself sometimes. I'll be here as long as you need me."

She wanted to speak, to convince Lexi not to go through the trouble. Where did the loud and reckless Nymphadora Tonks go though? She felt like she was left with a shell of herself. A desire for help and guidance held Tonks back from convincing Lexi to leave. Though Alexis was only a year older than Tonks, she was wiser than most people Tonks knew; at least Lexi was wise to everyone but herself. She'd made mistakes before, but that's what made her human. Lexi had been Tonks' advice column and listener all throughout the years. If there was ever a flaw Tonks could see in Alexis Black was that she cared too much.

"Tonks," Alexis sighed and made Tonks look up at her. "I hate seeing you this way. You're not yourself. What happened to the loud and reckless Nymphadora who'd hex me for calling her by that?" Alexis questioned. Tonks asked that question many times too. "Now…it's like you're just a shell of yourself," she sighed.

* * *

><p>It was still early in the morning, a bit too early, but Remus hadn't been able to fall asleep at all last night and so he was still awake when he heard a soft knock on his front door to his apartment. Remus didn't recognize this knock. It was familiar but different at the same time. He got up and quickly threw on a jumper and trousers while using a quick charm to clean up his morning face. When Remus opened the door, he was surprised to see Nymphadora Tonks still yawning and waving at him while her hair morphed from her natural mousy brown to pink, but it wasn't her bright bubblegum pink, rather a shade darker. Alexis Black was standing there beside her, leaning to one side with her arms crossed and a smirk across her face.<p>

Before Tonks walked inside, she noticed that Remus looked a little bit better and healthier than the day before. His tender blue eyes were soft and he didn't seem as tired. The scars that crossed his face had faded and Tonks could see that the bandages on his hands have been removed. He still looked like he hadn't slept though by those dark circles present. Remus smiled wanly as they settled down.

Immediately Tonks tripped over a large cardboard box and was caught by Remus' strong and protective arm. His looks were deceiving as Remus was a lot stronger than he looked. He pulled her up and Tonks smiled nervously. There were more cardboard boxes that were stacked around the room and Remus' apartment seemed empty. He looked like he was moving.

"Does coffee sound good Dora?" he asked and Tonks nodded, smiling weakly. "And I remember you like firewhiskey don't you Alexis?"

"Thanks Moony but I'm good," Alexis smiled. After listening to Tonks' tale and mistake made under the influence of alcohol, she didn't want to be anywhere near it for a few days.

"Here you go," Remus smiled softly at Tonks, handing her a warm mug of coffee, prepared just the way she liked it. "Vanilla caramel with two spoons of sugar and lots of milk. And a water for you Alexis." Remus was a kind and gentle man, and Tonks couldn't help but feel her stomach drop as she held the warm mug in her hands. She repeated in her mind that he will never be hers; there was no more chance for them.

"Nymphadora are you alright?" Remus asked. He'd been sensing that something was wrong with her ever since he came back from Hogwarts. For some reason, Nymphadora Tonks seemed to be lacking in color and enthusiasm, and Remus wanted to know why.

"I'm fine," Tonks replied a bit too quickly. "Remus, are you packing?" she asked.

Remus' smile faded a tiny bit as he nodded. "It seems that my landlady isn't comfortable with a werewolf renting this place," he replied a bit sadly. "She read the morning edition of the _Daily Prophet_ and figured out that I was the werewolf."

"Where are you going to go?" Tonks asked softly while Alexis suddenly looked contemplative, quietly rubbing the side of her cheek with her index finger in thought.

"I don't know yet," Remus replied. "There's this place in Knockturn Alley that would let those like me rent a flat. Or I could go live with my friend in a cave near Hogsmeade."

Tonks made a bemused expression. She unknowingly took Remus' hand in hers and held onto his hand tightly, comforting him, reassuring him. Her gesture didn't go unnoticed as Remus tensed a bit under her touch but found himself relaxing and longing for more of her warmth and care that he wasn't going to have again.

"You can't live in any of those places," Tonks began but Remus cut her off with a laugh.

"I'll think of something Nymphadora," he smiled wryly. "Now actually, today I want you girls to meet someone before we no longer have a safe place to talk." He stood up and walked towards the narrow hallway that led to his bedroom.

"What do you mean?" Tonks asked, confused as she stood up, about to follow.

When Remus left the hall, walking behind him, almost hiding in his shadow was a tall, lanky man with long, shaggy black hair and a hallow, once handsome face. He had the face of the convicted criminal, the first ever to escape Azkaban with no help. He looked tired but not insane like his wanted poster had made him out to be. He looked different than the man on the wanted poster. He looked a lot friendlier, less mad, and a lot more like cousin Padfoot, the one she remembered. Though after years of being fed on by the dementors, he was merely a shell of himself. Tonks' hand twitched near her wand as she stood there, staring at Sirius Black.

"Sirius…" Tonks breathed, unsure of what to do. She was after all an Auror, staring at a wanted man but yet she was unable to bring herself to catch him.

The man grinned in that familiar way she'd always remembered from her childhood. He seemed a little hesitant to come close but he still took a step towards her. "Hello Tonks, Lexi," he smiled at Alexis who sat in a trance behind Tonks, unmoving like a statue.

Tonks placed her hand over her wand, but she still didn't draw it. Remus had noticed this and stepped forward between Tonks and Sirius, holding her gently by her arms. "I know this is really sudden, but I felt that Sirius should see some of the most important people to him again. He's not a murderer. The Ministry has got it wrong. Sirius never sold out the Potters to Voldemort, it had all been Peter Pettigrew," he spoke all in one breath, worried. "I know you may think this is ridiculous, but believe me, Sirius is innocent." Remus turned to look at his friend. "If he really did do anything to hurt James and Lily, I would have killed him already. But he's innocent. You've got to trust me."

"Sirius is…innocent?" Tonks asked, a bit skeptical bit a bit relieved as well.

Sirius took another step forward towards her. "I know you're an Auror, Moony told me. I know it's your job to take no nonsense from me and just capture me, but you've got to believe us. I _am_ innocent and I would rather die than sell out my best friends."

Tonks hesitated for a moment, but after looking into Sirius' haunted grey eyes and seeing that he was speaking nothing but the truth, she finally gave in. She ran up and hugged the man tightly, smiling; glad to have her cousin back. Hell she was going to need some proper explaining still about what exactly happened, how Sirius Black is at Remus' apartment, and how the man escaped Azkaban in the first place, but that all could wait. Sirius needed her to believe in him and she needed to let him know she wasn't going to chuck him back into Azkaban.

Sirius hugged her tightly and laughed that same Sirius-like laugh that she remembered. He slowly pulled back from her and his smile dropped a little when Remus stepped aside and revealed a still quiet, statue like Alexis Black sitting back on the single armchair, one leg crossed and her index finger drumming her temple with a contemplative look in her eyes. Lexi's one eyebrow was quirked upwards, as if she'd just realized something very odd.

"Lexi?" Sirius asked softly, wondering what she thought about seeing him.

"You know," Lexi began conversationally, much to everyone's surprise. "I always did think that it was Wormtail who sold you guys out. I mean he's the biggest coward in your group and the man's animagus was a rat for Merlin's sake. All you ever found of him was a finger. Isn't that suspicious?" Lexi smirked and rushed over to give Sirius a tight hug.

"You were always the logical one," Sirius laughed, hugging her back a little tighter.

"Sirius how did you escape Azkaban?" Tonks asked, smiling brightly.

"I managed to reserve enough energy to transform into my animagus self. Animal emotions aren't complex enough for dementors to sense, so being skinny as I was I slipped right through the bars and swam all the way to land. It nearly killed me, but I'm here," he smiled.

"That turned out a lot better than I had hoped," Remus smiled. He shoved both his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet, smiling at the small reunion. After a moment Remus pulled out half a bar of milk chocolate and broke off a piece, eating it while allowing his eyes to wander into Tonks' eyes. When she saw Sirius, she seemed happier which made Remus smile inwardly to himself.

Tonks smiled and looked into Remus' eyes longingly. Her gesture was mutual as Remus lost himself in her gaze, her dark eyes luring him deeper and deeper. The intense stare between them didn't go by unnoticed as Lexi and Sirius turned towards each other. Sirius quirking an eyebrow and Lexi whispered something into his ear quickly that made him understand everything. Sirius was shocked, but he simply nodded, not wanting to break the longing stare.

"They love each other but both are too stubborn to admit it," Lexi whispered.

"They both can be a noble prat sometimes," Sirius sighed and shook his head. "We're stuck with Noble Prats United," he teased.

"At least you didn't have to deal with them for as long as I did," she smirked back.

"Lexi how come you weren't utterly surprised when you saw me?" Sirius asked.

"Oh trust me, after you hear Tonks' story of what happened between her and Remus that led to this," she gestured to the two that sat in companionable silence in the living room, stealing glances at each other, soulful dark eyes meeting soft blue ones. "Nothing in the world could surprise you. You've got a lot of catching up to do cousin Padfoot," she nodded conversationally.

"Tell me everything," Sirius smirked and sighed at the same time, seeing the sight.

A loud banging on Remus' front door suddenly pulled all their attention to the wooden door. Sirius immediately transformed back into his animagus form, a large black dog that resembled the Grim. He hid behind Tonks and Lexi's legs while Remus went forth and opened the door. Standing at the doorway was a tall, mean looking old lady with her lips pressed firmly and her back straight. She looked an awful lot like the wife of Frankenstein with the way her hair was set. She walked in stiffly, almost fearfully as her eyes never left Remus. Remus being the smart and kind man that he was, simply sighed and tried to smile.

"Mr. Lupin, I'm sorry to rush you but it would be best if…"

"Yes Mrs. Sweeney, I'm already packed and will be out of here by the end of the day," Remus sighed, speaking softly to the impudent wench which Tonks saw the woman as.

"Thank you Mr. Lupin," she nodded a bit heartlessly.

"I was wondering. If you happen to know of any place that I could stay at for now?"

She shook her head too many times. "My apologies Mr. Lupin but I'm afraid the other land owners won't be too happy if I recommended you to them, with your…condition and all."

Tonks' jaw muscle must have jumped once as she tensed. She wondered how Remus could remain so calm in front of such a shallow and impudent woman. It was beyond her that he could see be polite and kind to someone who was openly discriminating against him. It wasn't like he asked for it to happen to him. Remus was more a victim than anyone else. Tonks suddenly found herself storming up to the woman, her hair flaring to a fiery red as Sirius and Lexi's eyes widened in surprise. Perhaps the loud and reckless Nymphadora Tonks hadn't gone too far after all and was ready to surface for Remus.

"Excuse me for intruding Mrs. Sweeney," Tonks snapped, drawing out the woman's name in the same sneering way Severus Snape always did to her and many others. "I'll have you know that as a land owner, I am more than happy, delighted actually, to have Remus Lupin rent my place. And there is nothing wrong with his little condition. Of course a shallow, uncaring prick like you wouldn't ever understand that. I'm sure you don't even know anything other than what the rubbish _Daily Prophet_ tells you," Tonks glared at the woman.

Mrs. Sweeney pulled back, her mouth hanging in shock as she stared at the now red haired Auror. "Young miss you obviously don't know what you're talking about," she gasped, her eyes looking skeptically at Tonks' hair and perhaps thinking her insane.

"Actually I do," Tonks retorted and whipped out her Auror badge, almost shoving it in the woman's face. "I am an Auror and I can assure you that I do know what I'm talking about and I'm more than happy for Mr. Lupin to stay at my place. Good day to you Mrs. Sweeney," Tonks hissed and slammed the wooden door shut in her face.

Tonks turned back to see three very stunned and surprised faces gawking at her.

Sirius suddenly transformed back into his human form and doubled over laughing and clapping, almost howling in laughter as he gave her a thumbs-up and Remus a pat on the back.

Lexi was smirking. At least the around Remus Lupin, the loud and reckless Nymphadora was beginning to come back. "Go Tonks. Did you really have to whip out the badge?" she laughed. "And I believe that _I_ am the land owner of the house _you_ are currently trashing. But Remus you're welcome to stay there if you'd like," she smiled. Lexi easily pulled Sirius back up from his fit of hysteria while she carefully watched the interaction between Remus and Tonks.

"Blimey Moony, I didn't know you had such a ferocious army at your back. Seems like you didn't even need this old friend at all," Sirius teased, recovering from his laughter.

Lexi scoffed at the man while Tonks smirked and changed her hair color from fiery angry red back to her much preferred bubblegum pink. She turned to see Remus trying to fight a smile. He was standing very close to her, but she didn't mind. Instead, Tonks liked to be able to feel his body heat radiate off him and onto her. It made her feel warm.

"Nymphadora…Alexis…thank you so much but…"

"No buts Moony," Lexi cut him off. "It's not like we never lived together before. You stayed over at Andromeda's for a few months before when we were kids," she reasoned, folding her arms. She knew that having Remus stay with them would not only help him but possibly Tonks as well. "It'll be like that, except without Andromeda breathing down our neck."

"Take the offer Moony because I'm not visiting you in Knockturn Alley and I'm not sharing the cave with you," Sirius added, chuckling a bit watching Tonks and Remus.

Remus hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to trouble the girls, and he didn't know whether staying in the same house as Tonks would be suitable. After all, he already felt something strong for her. How could he bare watching her go on so easily while he's trying to get over her? She was engaged already. Remus sighed but then turned to his friends. Lexi was kind and obviously didn't mind. Sirius wasn't joking about not sharing his cave, and no doubt Sirius wouldn't be able to visit Remus in Knockturn Alley in the place he planned to rent. That place was watched by Aurors for any dangers caused by others of Remus' kind.

"If it isn't too much trouble, thank you," he replied. "During the full moon, I'll go to the Shrieking Shack and transform. You don't have to worry."

"Uh uh," Lexi suddenly added. "You're not going to that ratty old shack to change."

"Lexi's house is in the middle of nowhere, you can change in the woods nearby. Or the attic or basement, we never go there," Tonks offered, liking that idea better, even if the Shrieking Shack wasn't really haunted and it had been his screams that made the house famous.

"You're on wolfsbane mate. There's no need to worry," Sirius added.

"But Severus could no longer brew the potion for me," Remus argued softly.

"I can brew wolfsbane you know," Tonks argued. "It's basic knowledge for Aurors."

"Then it's settled then," Sirius grinned. "You're moving over to my cousins' house!"

"You can come too Sirius," Lexi added, turning to him. "My house is almost unplottable. Besides, I already put up wards against everyone and the house is as safe as Hogwarts."

"You put up wards in the house? When?" Tonks asked.

"Lexi you even put up wards against Tonks' fiancé?" Remus asked.

Lexi scoffed. "Like I'm going to let that arse back into my house while I'm there. I'm still mad you let him contaminate my floor Tonks. I can just apparate you guys in there and Sirius will go unnoticed. Rosier won't be able to get inside and that's not my problem."

"And you don't mind that your fiancé isn't allowed in your own house?" Remus turned and asked Tonks with a bemused expression in his eyes.

"It's Lexi's house. Besides, there's no reason for him to come," Tonks shrugged.

"Ok, _fiancé_?" Sirius interrupted. "What _fiancé_?" he asked.

"Here Tonks you help Remus pack. I'll take Sirius away to talk and explain _everything_ to him," Lexi smirked and Tonks froze. "No worries. I'll just apparate Sirius back to my house while you and Remus pack. Then I'll come back and pick you guys up."

"Uh wait Alexis we're all…" Before Remus could even finish, Lexi dragged Sirius as Snuffles outside the door and apparated right before their eyes with a _pop_. Remus sighed and turned to Tonks. "Sometimes I think Alexis and Sirius are so alike," he smiled a bit.

"I've noticed that too," Tonks agreed.

* * *

><p>Morning changed to the afternoon and after having a long, easily flowing conversation with Tonks that ended abruptly when it came to the topic of romance novels, Remus and Tonks both decided that they should probably head to her home in case his landlady pestered him again. Tonks wasn't able to apparate straight in anymore because of Alexis' wards, so she apparated him to London and they took a cab out to the outskirts. Tonks led him down a beaten path that looked very beautiful in the golden sunlight. He wished they could be closer together walking down that beaten path. The road to Alexis' house seemed like a journey in a story he once read.<p>

Remus watched her go and watched as the brilliant bubblegum pink hair of hers clashed so well with the plain state of his life. He felt something for her, he knew he did, but Remus couldn't pursue her. They were past the point of no return. Tonks was engaged, and he felt that he was too old, too poor, and too dangerous for her. She deserved better. He secretly wished that it had been him she was marrying, that he wasn't forever cursed in a life of loneliness, but he couldn't. Remus cared for Tonks too much to allow him to burden her with his lycanthropy. She would be discriminated along with him and she'd have to sacrifice so much. He couldn't even reveal his true feelings to her.

"That should be me," Remus mumbled to himself, laughing at himself for being a fool.

"What'd you say?" Tonks asked, partially hearing him over the silence on the path.

Remus jumped a bit, looking up at her and smiling nervously. "Nothing."

"You're an odd one Remus," she smiled and shook her head.

"So um, are you looking forward to the engagement party, Dora?"

"No not really," Tonks replied truthfully. "I think the engagement party is kind of pointless really. But it's something haughty families like the Rosier enjoy, so I have no say."

"You sound like you don't like your in-laws very much."

"I really don't," Tonks replied.

"You must love your fiancé then. He seems like a fine bloke even if Alexis hates him."

"She has a reason to hate him," Tonks blurted and suddenly wanted to slap herself.

Tonks didn't want to reply to that question. Remus knew part of the truth. Remus knew that Tonks had been hurt before, been cheated on, but Remus never knew that it had been Evan Rosier who was the cheater. She didn't want to tell him, because she didn't want him to worry, knowing him for the noble and selfless prat that he is. She wanted Remus to be happy for her even if she can't be happy for herself. Tonks was glad at least Evan had the right mind to take responsibility and marry her, even if she felt he doesn't truly love her.

Remus had noticed Tonks' odd behavior and her preference to not talk about it at that time. Realizing that it was no longer his place to worry so much about her but rather her fiancé's, Remus forced himself to not care, though failing miserably. "Are you…are you happy?"

"No…I mean yes," Tonks corrected quickly but Remus knew it was a lie. Suddenly, it was as if she could no longer hide everything from him. Remus' tender gaze he gave her felt ten times worse than Alexis' gaze. She was already breaking under his gaze and she just wanted to hold the man and cry to him that she doesn't want to marry Evan at all but she has to for the baby and she doesn't want to burden Remus with the baby. Tonks shook a little, trying to hide from Remus' soft blue eyes, but the simple task seemed so hard, so daunting.

"Nymphadora are you…is everything alright?"

Remus sensed that she didn't want to answer him. Perhaps he just had to live with the fact that unlike before, Tonks wouldn't confide in him anymore. She had a fiancé now and it was her fiancé that she would be confiding to, telling him if everything is alright or not. It was no longer Remus' position to worry, but he couldn't help himself. He secretly wished that it was him Tonks was standing beside, but he couldn't risk letting her sacrifice everything for him.

* * *

><p>While her inability to sit still while her house was in complete chaos kicked in, Alexis was scrubbing clean the floor of her living room with a cleaning charm while telling Sirius the long history between Remus and Tonks. Her house was looking back like it used to be, shiny, bright, clean, and relaxing. She continued sorting through Tonks' many magazines while telling Sirius the story all the way from the beginning when Tonks told her Remus was her last dance before she left Hogwarts, all the way to what happened recently and why Alexis was forced to return to Britain all the way from France, to help her cousin through this, and to make sure her house didn't collapse under Tonks' management.<p>

"Merlin," Sirius sighed once the story was finished. He clapped a hand over his forehead and shook his head. "They're both noble prats aren't they?" he sighed.

"They both want to walk away from each other, but they're obviously not succeeding. You saw the way Moony and Tonks looked at each other earlier," Alexis sighed.

"Selfless prats," Sirius grumbled. "I know my old friend Remus is too worried about burdening Tonks with his lycanthropy. He's been using the same excuse ever since school."

"And Tonks is too worried about burdening Remus with the baby in her stomach. Silly girl. Even if she made a mistake like that, there's still people here to help her."

"We're going to have to help them," Sirius suggested.

"I understand Tonks' reasoning in not wanting to burden Remus with her child though," Lexi added. "He's a man after all. It's not right to ask him to help her raise a child that's not his. But yeah, we've got to help them. You help Remus get better and I'll help Tonks out of this."

"I was talking about setting up Remus and Tonks together. Remus loves her. As his best friend, I know how to tell when old Moony is in love. He wouldn't mind her having a kid. It's kind of like a buy one get one free deal," Sirius chuckled.

"Only you would be able to push that into a _serious_ conversation, _Sirius_," Lexi smirked.

"You know me. The conversation was getting a bit too _serious_ for my liking."

"I wonder what you mother was thinking when she decided to name you _Sirius_."

The man shrugged and flipped through a magazine of Tonks that had been left on the coffee table. "So tell me about you," he suddenly spoke. "You only briefly told me about what went on with you over the twelve years. The rest of the time you spoke about Tonks."

"There's nothing to talk about with me," Lexi smirked.

"I know that smirk," Sirius pointed out, leaning closer to his cousin and pointing to the bitter façade that played across her face. "It's the Black family smirk," he smirked similar to hers. "You returned from France. What made you go over there in the first place?"

"I needed to get away. I was about to get married a year ago but that didn't end well."

"Did he hurt you?"

She scoffed. "It was a mutual thing," Alexis replied in a shockingly calm voice. "I didn't want to marry him because when we were together, it was just too stressful. He didn't like the close relationships I had with my guy friends, and he has an inability to keep girls away from himself. We didn't cheat or do anything…but it just got too stressful. When I broke off the marriage…I couldn't face him or his family because his family was so wonderful. So I figured I'd leave for France since I have a close friend over there willing to help me."

"In twelve years, everyone I know have changed and has relationship problems now."

"Like you don't?" Lexi retorted. "You left everything behind that night, unexpectedly."

Sirius closed his eyes for a moment. It was true. That night when he chased after Peter with anger and rage being the only things on his mind, he had forgotten that he'd left some very important people behind. He left a dear, trusting old friend behind without an explanation. He left his family, his real family that was Andromeda, Ted, Nymphadora, and Alexis. And he left one other person, a girl who was three years younger than him, who was just waiting for him to say the words to her. He had left someone very important behind that night.

"It's all blown over my head now kiddo," he replied. "Who's this guy you were supposed to marry? Is he a good bloke and not a cheater like Tonks' fiancé?"

"I'd say he's an alright bloke," Alexis nodded. She was about to speak more but hesitated. Sirius' gaze made her talk. "Deacon Stronghold…Evelyn's younger brother…"

Sirius froze at the mentioning of her name. Evelyn Stronghold was the woman he'd left behind that night twelve years ago, unexpectedly. She was the sweet little fourth year when he was a rowdy and rebellious seventh year. She was willing to wait for him to settle all his problems, wait for the First Wizarding War to end, for the struggle against Voldemort to end, for him to say the words to her and finally be together. Sirius still felt guilty and full of regrets when he thought of her. Could it be faith that his cousin was now, whether she wanted to or not, tied to Evelyn's family? Sirius ran a hand down his face and sighed.

"If I remembered right, Deacon was always really stubborn and strong. He sounds like a good bloke," Sirius nodded. "How about Evelyn? How's she doing?"

"Eve?" Lexi questioned as she got up and walked over to her stereo, searching through the list of songs. "She's doing great. I heard she's still single if that's what you're asking for."

Sirius laughed a bit bitterly as Alexis turned on a soft song playing over the stereo. "I wouldn't want her to see me again like this. Is she still an Auror?"

"The best. She has an _all-work-no-nonsense_ side as well. If she wasn't bubbly and pretty, Tonks said she could work on becoming the next Mad-Eye Moody."

Sirius laughed, his chest puffing up and down as an impatient knock suddenly sounded on Alexis' door. She smirked guiltily when she'd forgotten to go and pick Tonks and Remus up after a while. Opening the door, Lexi was met with a kind faced Remus wearing an apologetic smile, and an annoyed Nymphadora with pink hair threatening to go red. Lexi laughed a bit nervously as her cousin and friend walked into her house.

"I forgot, sorry," Lexi replied.

"Thanks for letting me stay," Remus smiled.

"Lexi I swear you're as forgetful as an old lady," Tonks sighed. "Merlin you cleaned the house!" she commented, looking at the new looking house she'd just stepped foot in.

"Oh boy how are we going to live?" Sirius teased. "Two slobs with two clean freaks."

"We'll manage," Lexi smirked. "Come on let's get you settled in. Tonks has work tomorrow and I have some stuff that I need to settle and get transferred too."

Sirius and Remus followed Alexis and Tonks as the girls led them to their rooms. Lexi saved the spare guest room next to the library for Remus and the bookworm was delighted when she revealed to him there was a second door that connected that room straight to the library. After letting Sirius get comfortable in his new room with the one way windows beside Remus', they were immediately given a quick rundown of the house while Remus offered to cook dinner and ended up raiding the half empty fridge and cupboards for food.

They chatted softly while doing so but their voices seemed drowned out by the soft R&B song that Alexis had playing in the background, echoing through her house in a soothing but sad melody by the stereos. Listening to the song, the four of them suddenly felt a throbbing within their hearts. It was a song about romance, and they suddenly reflected upon their own romances, wondering what went wrong and if they could pick up the pieces afterwards.

Tonks sat on the kitchen stool, watching Remus silently as he cooked, using the excuse that she needed to cook learn herself. She simply just wanted to be by his side. Remus discreetly glanced at her every chance he could get, wanting to have a good look at that beautiful Auror with pink hair before she gets married and walk away from him. He tried cooking as slowly as he could while wishing that the time could stop and they'd be stuck in the moment forever.

Sirius was sitting at the dining table with a half empty bottle of firewhiskey from Alexis' secret stash. He was staring out the window into the distant horizon at the miles of beautiful rolling hills and mountains in the distance where the sun was setting as he thought about that girl he'd left behind and wished things could have been different. Alexis preferred to sit alone on her sofa, her eyes staring blankly into the dancing flames under her mantle as she listened intently to the song that had been her favorite for so long. Her thoughts were distant, trying hard not to picture the image of the boyish grin of her ex-fiancé and the lingering emotions she still felt for him that one year in France never got rid of. The four of them felt as if they all needed to be given a second chance, and they would take it with open arms.

_When is love ain't gonna play no games  
><em>_It's not the way it's supposed to be  
><em>_They way we touch, though your body's close to me  
><em>_I can feel your love walking away  
><em>_I don't want to be the one to turn my back so easily  
><em>_I'm sorry but I'm walking away  
><em>_But I really gotta do this now before this love gets the best of me  
><em>_I'm sorry but I'm walking away  
><em>_Walk away, walk away, walk away, walk away…  
><em>_I don't want to be the one to turn my back so easily_

"For God's sake Lexi, you've got to stop putting your muggle R&B on replay," Tonks called from the kitchen. That song was pulling apart the shield she was trying to put up with every note and every word played through the stereo.

"Deal with it! I like it," Alexis replied from her spot on the couch in the living room.

"It suits the mood in a scarily accurate way," Sirius mumbled through the whiskey.

"It's soothing, Remus nodded.

Remus turned to look at Tonks, that time incidentally falling into yet another one of their unexplainable enchantments, locked in each other's gaze. He wondered what that song was doing to her, how it was bothering her that caused her to speak up. Usually Tonks loved having music on. Nymphadora Tonks just loves music overall and he knew that. Remus wondered if it was something about what the song was saying that was bothering her. After listening closely, it bothered him too. It probably bothered all of them judging by the distant looks on all their faces. They were like four people on the very same boat with romantic problems.

* * *

><p>I hope this chapter's alright! ^_^ Review please ^_^<p> 


	3. You Can't Dance Without Two

**Chapter 03 – You Can't Dance Without Two**

_Now I see that I've been wasting time  
><em>_I had a picture of us painted in my mind  
><em>_Now it's fading and there's nothing left to do  
><em>_Letting go, 'cause I know  
><em>_You were only halfway there  
><em>_Even though, we were close  
><em>_I was holding on just long enough to know  
><em>_I should be letting go, I should be letting go…_

July's weather was the hottest out of the summer months. Remus was up to his daily routines. During the early evenings while Tonks was on Auror duty and Alexis had trials to attend, he would seek serenity in the comfort of the house's library, finding interest in the extensive collection of books that both Alexis and Tonks had created. The first time Alexis and Remus talked privately together, the young girl had told him about Tonks' private collection, books that she enjoyed and read over and over again. Much to his surprise, many of them were ones Remus had recommended to her. While he read over them, he'd find little comments she'd make on the pages. Some made him smile while some made him thoughtful, wondering why he had been such a fool to let her love pass him by.

Remus had been sitting there in the black leather armchair reading one of Tonks' favorite books while listening to a soft song that she'd set on replay since last night over the stereo in the library. He had just finished laughing at a rhetorical and very Nymphadora-like comment she'd marked on the side of the page he was on when the library door suddenly burst open and in walked Sirius Black, breaking Remus from his tranquility.

"Why are you so depressed Moony?" Sirius asked, sniffing around the library.

Remus raised an eyebrow at his old friend. He was wondering why the man was acting like a dog trying to sniff something out. He didn't ask that question however and returned to his book. "I'm not depressed Padfoot," he spoke certain that he wasn't but it suddenly felt like a lie.

"Moony my old friend, I know you," Sirius smirked fleetingly before returning to his sniffing, pulling in and out books now. "When you drown yourself in books," he quickly gestured to the three piles of books Remus had stacked up beside him on the end table books that Sirius didn't know had been Tonks' favorites. "And you're listening to sad, emotional songs," he then pointed to the soft R&B track on the stereo. "You're feeling depressed," he concluded.

"I'm simply relaxing. Besides, Nymphadora's had that track on replay since last night."

Sirius nodded, looking like he was searching for secret compartments in the shelves. "Have you ever wondered why Tonks only lets _you_ get away with calling her Nymphadora?"

Remus set his book down slowly, looking at his odd friend with deep, mirthless eyes. "I know she had a crush on me," he sighed. "But that was the past. We're just very good friends now," he finished, rubbing the back of his head, wishing he'd been just a little bit more selfish.

"The past eh?" Sirius questioned. "Why would she still let you call her Nymphadora?"

"I don't know," Remus shrugged and sighed, trying not to care but failing miserably.

"What if she still loves you mate?" Sirius probed. "I know Tonks. Actually, I know women. If any crush lasted longer than a year, it's no longer a crush, it is love. What if she still loves you?" Sirius questioned.

Remus ran a large, calloused hand down his face and sighed, trying hard not to let that glimmer of hope inside him grow any bigger. "She's engaged for God's sake Padfoot."

"Does she look happily engaged to you?" he asked, trying to pull open a locked cabinet. "I think not. I think you're missing out on a very important fact here Moony," he smirked, almost Marauder like as his newly trimmed moustache wiggled. It was like he was saying _I-know-something-you-don't-and-it's-very-important_.

"She doesn't love me Padfoot, not anymore," Remus added that last part in almost a whisper, feeling sad with himself that he'd let that opportunity go. But he had to because Tonks was a brilliant, beautiful young Auror and he always felt she deserved better than a jobless old werewolf that he was. "She's engaged to a man who will be able to provide anything for her."

"She's engaged to a cheating bastard who like Lexi said, probably won't hesitate to break dear Tonks' heart again," Sirius cut him off, giving up on the locked cabinet and searching the shelves near the stereo. He suddenly remembered Alexis had said that Tonks never told Remus it had been Even Rosier who had broken her heart and cheated on her.

Remus nearly dropped his book. His eyes darted up at Sirius. "Rosier was the cheater?" he asked, surprised. He didn't know what to think. Remus suddenly felt protective of her and wanted to punch that man he met the other day, Evan Rosier, in the face for hurting Tonks.

"Yes see, now that's why I say you and Tonks should sit down and have a proper one on one conversation about things between the two of you. And you should admit your feelings too. She at least has the right to know that the man she was 'crushing' on was 'crushing' on her as well," Sirius replied, pulling in and out books again, looking for a secret compartment.

"I…I can't. It's too late. She's already fallen for Rosier," he sighed in defeat. Even though Remus no longer felt that Rosier was such a good choice for Tonks, he still knew that at least Rosier could provide for her, and people could change over time. Maybe they'd learn to love over time. After all, Remus felt that Rosier could give Tonks things he never could.

"What do you mean it's too late?" Sirius retorted. "You sit down and you talk."

"It's wrong Padfoot. I can't just go up and talk to her about my feelings. She's engaged in case you've forgotten. Besides, people change over time. Maybe he's a better person now. He could provide for her. She deserves better than a jobless old werewolf like me don't you think?"

Sirius sighed, getting frustrated. "Ah you always try to see only the good in people Remus. But you know what I think? I think you should lay the cards on the table and let Tonks decide for herself what's best for her." He stopped searching momentarily and crossed his arms much like Alexis always did. Remus noticed and thought it was a 'Black' trait when they get thoughtful. Sirius analyzed his friend and it was then that he realized Remus Lupin was merely a shell of himself from the Marauder years ago. Twelve years didn't do any of them good.

"Sirius, did you come in here just to question me and break my peace?" Remus asked, needing their conversation to turn onto a different topic, something not about himself or Tonks.

Sirius sighed and gave up convincing Remus to speak his mind. "Actually no. See Lexi changed the hiding place of her secret stash and Tonks hinted to me it might be in the library. I'm looking for secret compartments and ah hah!" he replied, beginning to grin.

Placing a long, slender finger on the spine of a particularly boring looking encyclopedia, Sirius pulled it out and along with it, the shelf magically shifted and changed into a large shelf filled with bottles of firewhiskey and butterbeer along with stacks of chocolate in all different assortments. Remus' eyebrows rose, fascinated by Alexis' secret stash. There were almost as much chocolate as the shelves at Honeydukes and the firewhiskey were all old and genuine.

"Merlin my cousin has good tastes," Sirius grinned, taking a bottle and uncorking it.

Remus shook his head and turned to another page in the book, trying to distract himself. Unfortunately, when Remus turned the page he was met with a small comment from Tonks that made memories replay in his mind. He stared at her messy but cute and distinct scrawl. _Note to self: ask Remus if transformations hurt._ He was unable to hide his fleeting smile at the note, partially happy and partially laughing at himself. He was reading a muggle fiction book about werewolves, and right on the page the wolf made the painless transformation, Tonks wrote that note. Remus' eyes grew distant as he reminisced on the one night where something unintended happened, and he ended up realizing he'd fallen in love with a beautiful pink haired Auror.

_Two years ago, it was the morning right after the full moon. Remus didn't have access to wolfsbane then, and so like always he'd apparate to the Shrieking Shack to transform and then apparate back when the morning sun rose. That morning was a particularly warm morning as it neared summer. When he arrived back at his small and bare apartment, he was surprised to see Nymphadora Tonks fallen asleep beside his front door. The last moon hadn't been kind to him and he had no energy to pick her up so instead, Remus opened his front door and sat down beside her, waiting for her to wake up._

_As he waited he was confused. Tonks never visited him that early after a full moon before and he wondered what had made her do so. His bones ached and the cuts on his body though had stopped bleeding still stung. Remus still waited and finally, she stirred. Tonks' eyes slowly opened and her pink hair grew significantly brighter when she saw his face._

_"Remus!" she grinned, her dark eyes twinkling. "Wotcher! How was the last moon?"_

_"Terrible," he replied but smiling as she got up, helping him into his apartment. "Dora what are you doing sleeping at my doorstep?"_

_She laughed a bit. Her laughter was loud and to others may seem unladylike, but somehow hearing her laugh that particular morning made him smile as well and forget about his aches and pains. "I was really stupid sorry but I just had this question on my mind and I couldn't wait. I came over just an hour ago but I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep," she smiled._

_Remus shook his head as she sat him down on the wooden stool and searched his cupboards for food. "You're always an odd one," he commented. Suddenly that morning he noticed that once he saw her, he didn't feel depressed and dreary about his lycanthropy anymore. Rather, it felt like how Tonks had always seen it, as a furry _little_ problem. "What did you need to ask me?" he questioned and beamed when Tonks set down a cup of tea for him._

_"This may seem very weird…but when the moon rises and you're transforming into a wolf…does it hurt?" she asked straightforwardly but not sharply._

_Remus looked into her curious dark eyes and nodded, a bit sad, but just seeing her face lifted his spirits. "It's like…your body was changing rapidly…like the man was breaking to fit the wolf," he replied, contemplative. "I just know it's really painful."_

_Suddenly, Tonks pouted which made him curious. "That's really terrible then," she spoke. "I read this book and it said werewolf transformations were instant and painless."_

_Remus shook his head but was unable to stop himself from cupping her face with one warm but calloused hand. Much to his surprise, Tonks' lips quirked upwards, smiling genuinely as she held his hand to her face. As he stared into her deep, soulful dark eyes for a while, Remus realized that somehow, seeing Tonks made him flustered, gave him a good, warm feeling inside, and seeing her right after a transformation suddenly made his world shine brighter. He wondered why he felt so oddly towards her._

_"I guess I should go," Tonks pouted again. "I should let you rest. Sorry," she laughed._

_"No wait," Remus suddenly found himself calling. "You…you could stay if you want. I'm just going to pick up a book and read, I'm not sleeping yet," he smiled a bit boyishly and shyly. "Maybe I could read this book of yours about a painless transformation?" He beamed as Tonks nodded eagerly, magically conjuring up the book with her wand and a muttered spell._

As he was chugging down his cousin's fine firewhiskey, Sirius couldn't help but notice the distant look in his old friend's eyes and that faint smile that had danced across Remus' lips. He quirked an eyebrow for that was one of the few times Sirius had noticed Remus smiling, but he hadn't done something stupid and Tonks wasn't around. When he finished his last drop of firewhiskey, Sirius caught sight of one of the books on Remus' pile. He recognized that title, _How to Dance with the Moon_. It was a romance story, Tonks' favorite. And then Sirius finally realized that what Remus was reading were all of Tonks' favorite books, and everyone who knew Tonks knew that she likes to put comments in the books she read. Perhaps one of those comments had sparked that smile. Sirius smirked and quietly left the room.

* * *

><p>Early July, Tonks sat in her cubicle, her mind in puzzles as she scrawled quickly to finish yet another boring report. Her mind was split as well, wandering between Remus and the report. She was so distracted that she nearly wrote his name down on the parchment.<p>

"If I were you, I'd get another piece of paper and write his name on there until you get tired and then return to the report," Tonks heard her cousin's airy angelical voice tease.

She turned around to see Alexis Black wearing long black robes, having come from a trial being the winning lawyer for the accused. "Why do they let you up here?" she grumbled.

"New case," Alexis smirked, holding up a thin case file. "Your morph is slipping."

"I know," Tonks sighed. "It does that lately. My mind is pulled in a million different directions. As long as I don't suddenly sprout a duck's beak, I don't care if my morph slips."

Alexis shook her head. "Vous êtes aussi mauvais que le temps qu'il fait dehors." Alexis chuckled at her cousin's confused gaze. "You are as bad as the weather outside. By the way, I ran into this wizard named Kingsley Shacklebolt. He asked me to hand this file to you. He knew I'm a Black…do I honestly look that much like one?" she asked, handing Tonks a different file.

She looked at Alexis' blonde highlights, her attempt to look less like a 'Black' after a spark of brilliance during her seventh year. "No I think it's your eyes," Tonks managed to smile.

"Well what about you? Your eyes are as dark as mine," she retorted.

"But I have pink hair," Tonks smirked, attempting to discreetly morph her hair brighter.

"Tonks can you follow up on this case for me?" a husky yet soothing voice suddenly called. Alexis recognized the voice immediately and her heart pounded to a rhythm she thought had been lost a year ago since she left England. She and Tonks looked up from their conversation to meet the dusty green eyes of a tall, lean but muscular male Auror with fair skin and dark, dark hair. He was Deacon Stronghold, looking a lot like his sister Evelyn, except with a more chiseled look. They watched as Deacon swallowed hard once. "I see you have company," he spoke dryly.

"_Oh Merlin,_" Tonks thought, her eyes turning between Deacon and Lexi.

"Alexis," he spoke in a huskier voice as if he hadn't called that name in such a long, long time. "When did you get back?" he questioned stiffly.

"About two weeks ago," she replied, unfazed while staring into his dusty emerald eyes.

Watching them, Tonks finally understood what Alexis had meant before when she said that from a third person point of view, she could see it all. Standing there to the side, Tonks really was able to see it all. Her cousin and her co-worker were lost in each others' gaze, looking spell bound almost. Tonks could see that they still held strong feelings for each other, but both were too afraid to admit it after the way their relationship had ended a year ago. Seeing from a third person point of view, Tonks really could see it all. And she finally understood how Lexi seemed to know so much, because it was that blatantly obvious.

"Lovely," Deacon swallowed and managed a small, genuine smile. "Welcome back."

"Happy to be back," she replied in a somewhat bemused tone. "Great seeing you Deac…err Deacon," She was fighting her habit of calling him by his nickname only she used, affectionately. Tonks watched them closely from the side. Perhaps they were trying to become friends again, simply friends and stop at that. After another short moment that felt like an eternity to the two, Lexi finally cleared her throat with subtlety and got up from Tonks' desk, making to leave the cubicle as fast but yet discreetly as she could.

"Wait," Deacon suddenly called and that made Alexis' heart skip one beat. "Will you…will you be staying here long?" he asked her.

"I…will probably be staying here for a while," she replied truthfully and took hasty steps away, feeling awkward and guilty for leaving him a year ago.

"Great," Deacon breathed inaudible to her. Tonks saw his lips quirk up slightly, nearing a smile. When Alexis' figure vanished into one of the lifts, Deacon suddenly cleared his throat and seemed to have snapped out of his trance. "Tonks," he spoke, turning back to her. "Uh…oh here, can you follow up this call? A woman in Diagon Alley is reporting use of Dark Magic."

"No problem," Tonks replied softly. "I'll check and report back to you."

"Alright," he replied. "It should be quick." Tonks nodded and was about to leave when Deacon suddenly told her something in a very quick and flustered voice. "Can you tell Alexis I'm glad she's finally returned home?"

"Sure thing," Tonks nodded awkwardly, hastily heading for the Atrium.

After apparating from the Atrium to the streets of Diagon Alley, Tonks suddenly realized that it was raining pretty hard outside. Like Lexi had said, Tonks' mood was just like the weather. Since it was raining so hard and not wanting to take a chance with her dwindling coordination and the baby she had, Tonks decided to hide out from the rain, standing under a cover beside the window of Flourish and Blotts bookstore. She stood quietly, watching the rain fall and hoping for it to end as she had somewhere to go and memories were cascading her mind.

_That night, it had been raining pretty hard as well. Tonks returned from another one of her new Auror missions she'd been assigned right out of graduation. That night hadn't been too good a night. Her last mission had just involved werewolves, but they were no threat. It was a false call from an old lady who lived next door to a couple and was reporting on the weird sounds she heard and had been convinced they were using Dark Magic. When Tonks and Kingsley went to check the place, it turned out that the wife was a werewolf while the husband was a wizard and they were simply trying to get by. Kingsley taught them both a good working silencing charm they could place on the house and hopefully their old neighbor won't report on them anymore. Tonks left the office that night thinking about werewolves, love, and Remus._

_With no one to talk to and feeling like she couldn't take it anymore, Tonks thought that maybe it was time to voice her feelings to Remus. After all, according to Alexis Black, when you have a crush on someone for over a year, it was no longer a crush, it was love. Tonks had been 'crushing' on Remus for two years certain and maybe a while before that._

_"Nymphadora, you're soaking wet. Come inside," Remus spoke quickly pulling her inside his office. "Did you walk through the grounds in the rain? You could get sick," he nagged._

_Tonks smiled lightly and she was so happy that he seemed to care for her. It made her relax a little at what she wanted to talk to him about afterwards. "Remus I needed to talk."_

_Remus sighed and gestured for her to sit down. He cleared up his cluttered desk full of papers he still had yet to grade and leaned on the side, looking down at her with a small smile on his lips. Tonks would do that often. During his year teaching at Hogwarts, Tonks would visit his office just to talk sometimes, and Remus appreciated that. No matter how much he enjoyed being in company of the students, it was still nice to have a personal friend to talk to often._

_"Remus…I…I don't know how to say this. But I feel something for you. I…see you as more than just a very close friend to me," Tonks began, feeling flustered and nervous._

_"What?" Remus replied. He'd known. He'd known that she'd fancied him for a while now, but Remus never thought Tonks would ever confront him about it. He always presumed that it was just a simple crush, an infatuation and that she'd get over him soon enough. He never knew that she would come speak with him about it and for it to last this long._

_"I've had a crush on you for two years, maybe more. And Lexi said that if you crush on someone for more than a year, it's no longer a crush but it's love. That…I don't know but I've been crushing on you for more than a year…" Tonks spoke, feeling her heart beginning to drop._

_Remus stood up straight from his desk and shook her head. He had such a deep look in his eyes, a look that meant he had so much to say but somehow he couldn't._

_"Tonks," Remus sighed. The way he called her Tonks suddenly came as a slap to her. He'd always called her Nymphadora or Dora, no matter how much she protested. Over time she'd allowed him to continue getting around not calling her Tonks. But that night, hearing him calling her what was usually her preferred name made her fall apart. "I…you shouldn't love me," he slowly headed for the door. "You deserve better. I'm too poor, too old, and too dangerous for you," he sighed one last time and quietly slipped away through the opening._

_Tonks sat there in his office, staring at the closed door in disbelief. He had given her excuses after she'd told him how she felt towards him. She didn't know why he had to give her excuses, but they were just as good as rejection._

_"You're too kind, too gentle, and too selfless," she mumbled to herself, the exact words that she planned to counter his excuses with but never had the chance to leave her lips before he left. Tonks shakily headed for the door, unsure of where to go. She allowed her legs to carry her wherever, anywhere but there. She needed to get away before she could allow her tears to fall._

Tonks forced herself out of her mind, deciding that if she keeps allowing herself to wallow in her thoughts she'd only get more depressed. She was engaged, logically, Tonks was supposed to be happy. Unfortunately love doesn't necessarily follow logic, and so Tonks wasn't happy in her engagement, and she felt scandalous when she was clearly longing for the heart of another man, not her fiancé's whom she could care less for. She was only thankful he was willing to take responsibility and help raise the child, knowing she couldn't do it alone.

Watching the rain soften, Tonks suddenly realized that she too did miss the loud and reckless person that she used to be before this engagement. Tonks wondered that if she ran out in the rain and tripped, she'd be slowly returning to her active, clumsy self again. Thinking it was a reasonable try and she could always shield her stomach with her arm, Tonks took a step away from her rain cover, also making her way to the address on her case information as well.

A calloused but warm hand suddenly gripped her arm and pulled her back into the cover. Tonks tripped over her feet and fell, her face buried into the shabby cotton jumper of a man. She inhaled once and realized the scent was unmistakable. Slowly she looked up to meet the alluring blue eyes of Remus Lupin, nervous, flustered, and unsure of what to say.

"Wotcher Remus," she tried to smile but through her confusion it came out as a grimace.

His eyes were soft. She didn't know if he was happy or upset seeing her. Suddenly, Remus smiled and his eyes softened even more. "What are you doing? You'll get wet."

Tonks gave him a bemused gaze but it was only fleeting as Remus took off his threadbare overcoat and held it over her head, both walking out in the rain together. He held his coat overtop them, shielding her from the rain and walking very closely beside her. Tonks suddenly felt as if the rain had calmed and settled down to a soothing trickle. She felt like the rain was warm and it suddenly didn't seem so dreary anymore. Her emotion felt like the rain as one minute she felt dreary and depressed. Then suddenly she felt warm again, just like the rain was getting. Faintly she could see the sun rising from its hiding place behind the dark clouds, and Tonks glanced up to see the side of Remus' face, so close to her.

"What were you doing about to go out in the rain and getting wet like that?"

"I saw the rain was softening and I needed to go here for an Auror case," she replied, showing him the address she'd written down on a slip of paper. "What are you doing out in the rain?" she asked him as Remus turned and headed the same way she was, his threadbare overcoat suddenly feeling like a priceless cover over them.

"Padfoot was getting a bit too sentimental for my comfort ever since he found Alexis' stash of firewhiskey," Remus replied, smiling gently. "So I left the house and thought maybe I should buy some more books adding to your library. I've already gotten a good understanding of your preferences." He looked down at her, feeling flustered when he saw a smile passed her lips.

"You don't have to walk with me you know. If you've got somewhere else to be."

"I don't mind," Remus shrugged. "I haven't been to Diagon Alley with a friend in so long." Remus stole glances at her, wanting to tell her so much more but it just didn't feel right.

"Yes, friend," Tonks replied softly, thoughtful as she pondered upon the word. Tonks wondered if that was all there ever was between Remus and Tonks, friendship, and she'd gone and mistaken all his kindness and gentleness for love. She looked up at him, wondering if she had been mistaken. She felt like she was right though, so right. So was Remus friend or lover?

As clumsy as she was, Tonks suddenly tripped over a crack in the ground. She flailed gracelessly to the ground, but incidentally Remus had tried to catch her and unlike many other times, that time he'd fallen himself as well. They both fell onto the ground, their bodies splashing against the puddles of untainted rain. Tonks looked up, cursing under her breath at her clumsiness. She was lying on Remus who'd tried to catch her, safe and protected. He was pushing himself up while helping her as well, and suddenly she felt a need to smile, grin actually.

"You'll be the death of me Nymphadora," he groaned, not used to falling like she was.

Tonks laughed as Remus helped her back up onto her legs. He held her tightly by her arms, his body against hers and they realized they were standing awfully close. The rain had softened to a mere drizzle while they stood there, looking into each others' eyes. Tonks' soulful dark eyes met Remus' gentle blue eyes and suddenly, it was as if they were both under a spell.

Slowly, Tonks could feel Remus' warm breath getting closer to her lips. She stood still as he leaned in closer and closer. After a short moment, Remus' lips were rested on hers. He didn't move anymore however, perhaps he was waiting for her to respond. Tonks was unsure. She could feel the small bump that was beginning to form on her stomach and she knew that she shouldn't. But she just couldn't resist. After two years, his lips were finally on hers. Tonks closed her eyes, uncaring for that one moment in time. She pressed forward and soon could feel Remus' soft lips gliding against hers. They kissed gently but lacking no passion at all. Tonks didn't even mind the rain that was growing heavy on her shoulders as she kissed him. She kissed him again after they'd stopped for a moment. She kissed him again and again.

"Nymphadora," Remus suddenly breathed, pulling apart from her, looking at her.

"Remus," she breathed. "I…I…" she didn't know what to say.

"Dora I'm so sorry," Remus suddenly sighed. His sigh was heavy and long, making her want to hug him tighter, which she unknowingly did. Remus could feel her arms wrapped tightly around him and he couldn't bear to pull apart. "Dora you're engaged. This is wrong," he sighed, closing his eyes and slightly turning away from her.

Tonks still held him tight, her one hand gripping his soaking jumper while her other hand gently travelled up to his face, caressing his smooth but scar crossed skin. She turned him to face her and Remus opened his eyes again. Tonks took a breath, unsure of what she should say. But then, the words were suddenly flowing within her. She needed him, and she didn't care what stood in her way. Now she felt like her old self again, loud and _reckless_ Nymphadora.

"Remus did you mean it?" she asked him with hopeful eyes. "The kiss, did you mean it?"

He was quiet for a moment, but Remus slowly nodded, his forehead touching hers. "I was just afraid of what would happen to you if I told you how I felt. If I told you I love you, I'd make you an outcast. You'd be discriminated because of me. And I have nothing to offer you. I'd be burdening you with my lycanthropy. I can't bear to see someone I love, burdened with that weight," he sighed softly to her, admitting his truest thoughts. The soft, drizzling rain trickled down his face and it made her feel like he was crying, his tears mixing in with the rain.

Tonks couldn't fight a smile. "Remus, say the last sentence again, please."

He thought about it for a moment and then repeated his words slowly, truthfully. "I can't bear to see someone I love, burdened with that weight."

The smile on Tonks' face suddenly danced up into a grin as she held his face with both her hands, gently. "Someone you love…me?" she asked in partial disbelief. Remus nodded and Tonks felt her heart lodged in her throat. All she could do was smile.

"But it's too late. You're engaged, Dora. The man you're engaged to, he could give you so much more than I ever could."

She shook her head. Tonks seem to have not heard a word he said as she suddenly buried her head into his chest, still clinging on tightly to him. Tonks had suddenly remembered that she was no longer one person, but she had another life inside of her, a child a child that wasn't Remus'. "Oh Remus," she groaned softly, shaking her head. "I don't want to marry Rosier."

"You're engaged to him. You must have wanted to at some point."

She shook her head again. "I never did. Remus…the only reason I'm marrying Evan Rosier…is because I have made a very huge mistake, and I am now pregnant," she managed to barely breath out the last words.

Remus suddenly felt like his heart had stopped beating. Tonks was pregnant. That was something he hadn't expected to hear at all. He fought the urge to break down at that moment while he ceased the chance to hold her close, hold her tight once again. "You're pregnant?"

Tonks nodded weakly. "Four months," she sighed. "That night in April…"

"When you came and confessed your feelings to me," Remus sighed, wanting to punch himself. If he hadn't turned away from her, things wouldn't have been so complicated now.

She nodded again, weakly against his chest. "I'm sorry Remus," Tonks sobbed. Her own tears were mixing in with the falling rain. "I'm so stupid. I made such a huge mistake."

Remus closed his eyes tightly, allowing the rain to soak his shoulders as he thought. He knew Tonks could feel him shaking slightly as he held her, but there was nothing more that could be done. They both were unable to love because of their burdens. Remus took a desperate breath, breathing in her scent and imprinting it in his memories. He held her close and tight for one more moment, one moment longer. Then, Remus slowly forced himself to pull apart from her. He held her by her arms and looked into her eyes, noticing traces of tears that had been hidden by the rain. Remus took a good look at her eyes and imprinted them again in his memories. Then he finally managed to speak the words that even he didn't want to hear.

"Nymphadora," he began softly. "Get married…" he spoke, his heart falling apart.

"What?" she asked while hurt and confused.

"Evan Rosier is a rich and successful young man. He will be able to take better care of you than I ever could. He will be able to take care of your child better than I ever could. He'll be able to give you things I can never give you. Over time, you'll learn to love each other. You'll be happier with him than you can ever be with me. Please think about yourself. I'm not pushing you away because of this child. But what's best for you, isn't me," he sighed, blinking hard to fight back the rising tears. There he was, having her in his arms, but having to tell her to go marry another man. Fate was so cruel. Remus truly, honestly didn't care whether she was pregnant or not. But he couldn't let her throw away her life, as well as the child's, by following him and becoming an outcast. The best decision was to let her go.

"Remus…" Tonks breathed, unsure of what to say or what to do.

"Come on. We've been in the rain long enough. Let's get you home before you get sick and affect the child negatively," Remus spoke sadly. "As for your mission I will beg someone to cover for you if I have to. We can't have you getting sick or hurt while pregnant."

"Remus stop," she spoke. She didn't deserve his care, and she knew that Remus cared.

He shook his head, ignoring her plea for him to stop being so caring towards her. "Come on," he spoke, walking her back. "You'll grow to be happy again, trust me," he sighed, wanting to trust himself that she'll be happy again as well. "I want to see Nymphadora Tonks laughing and smiling, not depressed like this. After the wedding, you will be," he smiled but it came out as a grimace and he just wanted to sink into the ground and die.

_Gotta get myself together, tryna make it through tonight  
><em>_Tell myself that we were never broken  
><em>_There were times that I thought I might be, finding ways to make it right  
><em>_But you walked away and opened up my eyes  
><em>_Now I see that I've been wasting time  
><em>_I had a picture of us painted in my mind  
><em>_Now it's fading and there's nothing left to do_

* * *

><p>Her case had luckily ended early and Alexis would have normally waited for Tonks, but she didn't know where to wait and hanging around in the Auror department any longer was a risk in itself as she'd run into her ex-fiancé or his sister again. So with a snap decision Alexis apparated home and suddenly appearing right inside her house, in front of a very startled Sirius Black with her black work robes looking like someone from the Ministry.<p>

"I was half scared to death there," Sirius admitted, hiding a bottle of firewhiskey behind his back. "How come you can apparate straight into your home even with all your wards?"

"I found a way to set it so that people who have been here before can just apparate straight in. What is that?" she asked, seeing the guilty look on his face. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing," Sirius smiled nervously.

Alexis took out her wand, black, thirteen inch with silver leaf etchings on the handle, and waved it in a complicated motion in front of him. Suddenly, the bottle of firewhiskey floated out of his hand and into hers, causing Alexis to raise an accusing eyebrow at him. "So _you're_ the one who have been stealing from my secret stash, even after I changed the location!"

"Well," Sirius laughed nervously. "Some alcohol isn't all that bad."

"Some?" Lexi raised her voice sounding like a mother scolding her child. "Sirius Orion Black…in the two weeks you've been here, you've depleted my stash of over thirty bottles of firewhiskey down to only ten! You're terrible!"

"Lexi calm down," Sirius laughed nervously. "I'm only trying to help you. Remus said you like firewhiskey and a girl shouldn't drink too much."

She ignored him, chasing after him as Sirius ran from her, fearing that he'd get hexed. "You drank twenty bottles in two weeks, Sirius Black! Twenty bottles!" she yelled.

Just as Alexis got a hold of the lanky raven haired man from his collar, the front door to her home suddenly opened, surprising the two cousins. They stopped in the middle of their chase, Alexis' fingers still wrapped tightly onto the cloth of Sirius' robes. They watched as a very soaked and drenched Remus and Tonks walked inside, both wearing very sullen expressions and looking as if they had cried, or at least Tonks was the most noticeable.

"Home so early Tonks?" Sirius questioned casually. "Moony why are you two so wet?"

"It's raining outside," Tonks replied in a soft, hoarse voice.

"We ran into each other in Diagon Alley," Remus explained, his face looking depressed, as if his world had ended. "I told Dora she needed to get home early and away from the rain in case she got sick and affects the baby," he tried to smile but again it came out as a grimace.

Alexis suddenly let go of Sirius' collar and the two Blacks turned to look at Remus and Tonks with a dead Sirius expression. "Oh no," Alexis breathed, almost inaudibly.

"Nymphadora's pregnant…isn't it wonderful? Her fiancé is no doubt happy beyond belief. I can't wait for the wedding." Remus' words sounded mirthful, but the expression on his face was the total opposite. He looked like he was in pain, trembling under his shabby clothes.

"Remus…Tonks…" Sirius breathed, wanting to comfort them.

Remus suddenly shook his head and let go of a very quiet Nymphadora Tonks. "Get some rest Dora," he spoke softly, fully letting her go as he walked solemnly upstairs, no doubt going to the library to hide his sorrows.

Tonks stood there as still and cold as a statue, her eyes staring at the ground, looking like she was still crying. Alexis threw a sharp glance at Sirius and quietly nudged him to go up and talk to Remus, completely ignoring her anger at him earlier for drinking from her secret stash. The pixie like woman with black and blonde hair rushed over to Tonks and hugged her cousin tightly as Tonks' knees gave out and she collapsed into Alexis' hold, sobbing.

"Tonks it's ok, it'll be ok," she breathed, quietly muttering a drying spell for Tonks.

"I hate myself," Tonks cried. "Why'd I have to go and get drunk? I've ruined everything," she sobbed painfully. "He kissed me and admitted that I'm someone he loves. If I hadn't made this mistake," Tonks gripped her belly tightly. "Things could have been different."

"Tonks listen to me," Alexis breathed.

Tonks shook her head, pulling away from Alexis' hold and standing with her back facing her worried cousin. Tonks wrapped her arms around herself, crying quietly, wondering why she had to make such a huge mistake.

"Tonks…"

"It's too late. Even if I call off the engagement, I still can't be with him. I can't burden him with this child!" she cried.

"Nymphadora…"

Tonks still didn't turn around. She only shook her head and sobbed suppressed cries quietly to herself while hugging her stomach.

"Look at me!" Alexis almost screamed. She spoke in a strong, frustrated voice she'd heard only once before in their childhood. Alexis was frustrated. She rarely ever is frustrated.

Slowly, Tonks turned around to look at her cousin who had paled significantly.

"Do you love Remus?" Tonks nodded. "Do you want to marry Rosier?" Tonks shook her head. "Do you want this child?" Tonks contemplated for a while but didn't respond. "Nymphadora, do you want to keep this child?"

Tonks thought again, for a while. "Yes," she finally answered. "The baby's innocent."

"Then we'll take this one step at a time. Things always have a way of falling into place sooner or later," Alexis comforted in a much softer, warmer tone.

Then Tonks nodded, trusting her cousin's word and dropping down on the sofa with her head in her hands, wishing she could rewind the clock and amend her mistakes.

* * *

><p>Sirius exited the library, meeting Alexis who stood on the opposite side of the hallway, her arms crossed and her feet tapping impatiently. She was rubbing the side of her cheek with her index finger, a gesture Sirius recognized that she was frustrated and worried, just like he was. He closed the door tightly behind him and leaned on the wall beside it, his arms crossed as well, uncaring that he was mirroring Alexis' position. That was the way they were naturally when they're frustrated after all.<p>

"How'd it go with Remus?" Alexis asked in a dead serious tone.

Sirius shook his head and sighed. "Tonks?"

Alexis shook her head. "She's asleep, really tired. She's starting to show a bump now. Seems about right, she's four months in and it's July already," she rambled. "What did Remus say?" she questioned, abruptly stopping herself.

The lanky man sighed once again, a longer sigh, heavier. "He said he truly doesn't care. He doesn't care that she's pregnant, but he still can't be with her because now she also had a baby to think for too. Evan Rosier apparently can give Tonks and the baby everything they need while he thinks Tonks will have to suffer if she's with him. Now with a baby in the picture, my selfless old friend wouldn't risk it, wanting the best for the new mother and child."

"Did he mention his lycanthropy?"

"Yes. He said that he could hurt the child and wouldn't risk it."

"Tonks said she doesn't care. She just wants him. She doesn't care about anything else."

Sirius dropped to the ground and groaned loudly, hoping that both Remus and Tonks could hear him so the troubled couple could understand Sirius and Alexis' frustration.

Alexis seemed thoughtful as she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed longingly. Sirius looked up and he knew that she had a lot on her mind, too much. "I need a drink," she suddenly spoke. "You coming or have you had enough?" Without another word, Sirius silently got up and joined her, both wondering what to do about the two depressed souls in the house.

_Letting go, 'cause I know  
><em>_You were only halfway there  
><em>_Even though, we were close  
><em>_I was holding on just long enough to know  
><em>_I should be letting go, I should be letting go…_


	4. Even Though I Can't Dance

**Author's Note:**

Oh yes, thanks to Anon (i finally remembered the name of the brilliant author who wrote my favorite fan fictions ^_^ ) my Evan Rosier is based on Kerichi's Evan Rosier in her fan fictions. But I guess I'll point out that I don't plan on making my Evan as much of a jackass as Kerichi's. BTW check out her fan fiction on Remus and Tonks! It's AU and amazing!

Alright, for this chapter, um I don't have much to say. Just please enjoy and leave a review if you can. Also check out my other stories, Swallow the Sun, Life Like This, etc. ^_^ Thank you!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 04 – Even Though I Can't Dance<strong>

_When you tell me that you want to see the ocean,  
><em>_Are you testing my courage?  
><em>_As I drink my coffee, I avoid eye contact.  
><em>_I'm doing the right thing, pretending to ignore you.  
><em>_If somehow you knew about my act  
><em>_Then I will lose you as a friend.  
><em>_You're a person that I can't love, but I still dream  
><em>_I want to lay a playful K-I-S-S on you  
><em>_My desire to love you overflows  
><em>_But I can't love you; you're not mine anymore_

Normally on her days off, Tonks would spend the time reading, talking with Remus, or hanging out with her cousin Alexis, but as an engaged woman, Tonks had given all that up to spend time with her fiancé in hopes of learning to live with each other and love each other as their marriage came by.

Unfortunately, Evan had wanted to spend time with her on a day where Tonks was feeling particularly dreary. Meeting him, she had to morph away the dark circles under her eyes and kept focus to make sure her hair remained pink, even if it wasn't the brightest shade of pink she normally used. Evan wouldn't notice. Tonks met him at his house, the large and elegant Rosier Manor. It truly was a beautiful and classy house, though it was sort of dark and there were Slytherin decorations everywhere. It wasn't her kind of home however. The grandness made it feel empty and the expensive furnishings made it seem more like a showroom rather than a home. Tonks carefully maneuvered up to his bedroom, hoping not to break anything. She greeted the family members she knew, trying hard to act polite and formal like Evan had stated that his family greatly preferred. She was trying too hard, and Tonks realized she wasn't herself.

"You didn't come over here to just read did you?" Evan asked, hugging her from behind as he sat down on his bed beside her, pulling her book away.

"I'm secretly a bookworm, didn't you know that?" Tonks replied a bit too dryly.

"No, I didn't. But it doesn't matter," he replied, smirking. "Let's have some fun shall we? I barely get to see you anymore ever since your cousin returned and warded off your house."

"Evan, I'm not in a good mood today. Can I just read?" Tonks replied.

He shook his head, his dirty blonde hair falling out of its hold around his eyes as he smirked at her. "If you don't be good, I might just have to find another woman to please me," he teased. Tonks didn't find it funny or in any way amusing. She kept her expression straight, even as he pushed her back a bit too roughly onto his bed and kissed her firmly.

Lying there, Tonks allowed him to kiss her without fighting him, but she felt a knot form inside of her. Kissing Evan, even though he was her fiancé, somehow just didn't feel right. Tonks kept thinking of Remus, and suddenly she felt like she was betraying Remus. She wondered why she was feeling that way. Remus was supposed to be just a friend to her while Evan was her fiancé. Everything was mixed up and Tonks was beginning to have a headache just thinking about it. She closed her eyes and sighed. Remus had told her to go get married, and there she was, getting married. Why wasn't she happy? And then Tonks knew why. Because Evan was the man who could make her heart flustered and sing songs.

"Was that so bad?" Evan asked once he was done kissing her, and feeling her soft skin.

She didn't feel like letting him kiss her again, and so Tonks thought that maybe if she talked and was a little more willing towards him, they'd get on better. She set her head up on one hand while facing him and Evan mirrored her, doing the same. He smirked, that same devilish smirk that he used on many other women, not just her.

"Why won't you morph for me?" Evan asked, smoothly.

"I don't see a reason why I have to," Tonks retorted.

"Alright," he simply nodded. "I just hope our child is a metamorphmagus like you."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "What up with you and wanting the baby to be like me?"

"Metamorphmagi are very useful, don't tell me you've never realized that," he replied. His voice was smooth and seductive, but Tonks didn't fall under the spell like she would have if they had been back at Hogwarts. Tonks realized that she no longer fell for the smooth seductive voice but rather the warm and tender, comforting voice. "Besides, for my father's company, having a metamorphmagus could really help out, for various reasons. And a metamorphmagus can change to become even hotter than a veela at any given time."

There Tonks was again, feeling like nothing but a tool to him, for his father's company and to change into a veela. She'd never changed herself to look like a veela before, and she could only wonder what tasks Evan's family planned on giving her with her metamorphmagus abilities once they were married. Tonks shuddered slightly and then rolled her eyes. "What if the baby isn't a metamorphmagus? What then?"

"Then we'll try for another one. After all, you're mine now," he replied. "Now what do you say we decide on a name? My parents are pressing. They want us to be completely ready. A lot of people will know about us once we make our engagement public. It will affect the Rosier family, this marriage, so my parents want everything to go smoothly as planned."

"This marriage could affect your family status?"

"My family is a rich and powerful pureblood family. Since I'm the only male, when I get married it will be a pretty big thing. If this marriage gets messed up, it could affect the family."

Tonks tried to smile and fought hard not to roll her eyes. Great, another guilt trip placed on her marriage decision. If she somehow messed this marriage up, she'd probably be charged for tainting the name of the Rosier family, and then have more troubles on her hand from Evan's family. That was how these rich, haughty families worked. They valued face and their name. Now she had to worry about that too. Things were just great.

She remembered Remus had told her to get married, to choose the better life for her and her kid, to choose a rich man over him. Tonks didn't know if she should listen, or rebel.

* * *

><p>The sun was up high that afternoon and the weather was absolutely beautiful. It seemed to be that way for the next few days, and roaming the streets, Remus wished that he had some plans coming up to spend time in the sun rather than just wandering around. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his shabby cardigan, sighing softly as he made his way into the apothecary. Remus had saved enough money to purchase all the ingredients for the wolfsbane potion, now all he had to do was hope that Tonks would be able to brew it for him.<p>

"Oh, it's you," the witch behind the counter greeted him icily. "What do you need now?"

"The ingredients for wolfsbane," Remus sighed, keeping himself calm and polite.

"You got any money?" she asked. He nodded and proceeded forward towards the counter. The woman had seen him before many times and working in the apothecary, she had a list of all the registered werewolves the ministry set out. She knew he was one of them, and she didn't like having to see him so often.

"Yeah," Remus nodded, digging in his pockets and pulling out a handful of galleons, beginning to count them when suddenly, someone placed a hand over his palm. He looked up to see Alexis' face smiling at him, her black and blonde hair framing her face. She then turned to the woman and her smile changed to a smirk.

"Remus you don't have to be so polite," Alexis spoke. "I'm here to pick up the set of wolfsbane ingredients that Auror Nymphadora Tonks ordered," she spoke in a stern voice, handing the woman a document from Tonks.

The woman glared at the two and then headed to the back of the store, collecting the ingredients. Remus tucked his galleons back into his pocket and smiled to Alexis.

"Nymphadora's already ordered them?" he asked softly.

"You didn't think she'd forget did you? Tonks would forget anything, but if it has to do with you, she'd remember it down to the most infinitesimally small details."

"I…I thought she'd be busy with the pregnancy and the engagement."

Alexis shrugged. "The Rosier family doesn't give her much say. So she just has to show up and go through with everything. She wouldn't be busy."

The woman returned again and handed Alexis the ingredients all neatly wrapped in a tan package. She glared at Remus once but was met with the suddenly threatening eyes of Alexis Black. Remus remembered Sirius used to do the same thing, able to threaten people with just the simple look of his eyes.

"Where will I be charging this?" the woman asked.

"Gringotts account of Alexis Black," Lexi smirked and the woman took a sharp breath upon hearing the name of the Black family. "See you next month miss," Lexi smiled cheerfully.

"Do you think it's too much trouble asking Tonks to brew it for me? Brewing wolfsbane potion takes an awful lot of time," Remus questioned as he exited alongside Alexis.

"No. Tonks wouldn't mind doing anything for you," she smirked. "Moony you need to be a little less selfless. It's ok to believe that there are people who are willing to do stuff for you."

"I don't deserve it though. Dora's wonderful and I just…I feel like I'm troubling her, burdening her," he replied, his eyes deep and contemplative.

"You're not troubling her. It's really no trouble at all doing things for the people you love. Rather, you feel a sort of homely happiness when you're doing something for the one you love," Alexis countered him, sounding like the voice of experience, when really she was only saying what she knew by the many conversations and interactions with others.

"I'd be burdening her though. I don't want the one I love to have to deal with the troubles of lycanthropy alongside me. She'd be made an outcast," Remus replied softly, feeling more comfortable and less agitated speaking with Alexis, because at least she stops and listens.

"It's not a burden if you love the person," she responded. "Love is a funny thing. Just as long as you're together, even if the world is ending, somehow you can find happiness."

"I still don't want to burden her with my lycanthropy though," he spoke but his voice grew even softer as he contemplated her words. "I care for her too much to allow that."

"Moony, I doubt you'll be able to see it my way, but listen to this. From a third person point of view, you both have a burden: you with your lycanthropy and Tonks with her pregnancy. Oddly, you two fit each other. Why deny yourself happiness when all you have to do is accept the fact that you and my cousin are perfect for each other? If you love her, it doesn't hurt at least trying to be with her. If it doesn't work out, you can't say that you didn't try."

"You really think we're perfect…even if I'm a werewolf? You don't mind it?"

"Do you mind the fact that my reckless cousin is pregnant?"

"No, of course not," he replied immediately but truthfully.

"Then none of us mind the fact that you're a werewolf. Just accept it Moony, you guys are practically made for each other. You can't stop thinking about her and she can't stop thinking about you. All that's left to do is admit your feelings to each other, snog senselessly, and be together. It's really not that hard Moony."

"Alexis, you make everything seem so easy," Remus smiled a bit.

"Puzzles are easier when you are able to see the entire thing. The same concept applies to life problems and romance as well. That's why when you're the person who is directly affect by it things seem so much harder for you as opposed to how an outsider would see it."

"Alexis, you are truly a Ravenclaw down to the soul."

"And I'm a Black as well," she smirked. "If you keep dragging this out any longer, I'm going to be like Padfoot and start thinking of ways to lock you and Tonks in a room together until you two admit you're perfect for each other."

"Padfoot is seriously considering that idea?"

"And many more that you really don't want to hear. I really need to find a new drinking buddy," she laughed. "By the way Remus, can you take this home? I still have to pick up some things I ordered at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Of course I can. Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me. Thank Tonks. She's the one who ordered it and will be the one brewing it for you. But then again, I think she's just happy that you're willing to trust her with this," Alexis winked before handing Remus the package and setting off in the opposite direction.

* * *

><p>The gavel sounded and their attention was pulling to Madam Amelia Bones who was in charge of the hearing. The woman had her lips pressed in a thin firm line, but Alexis couldn't help but notice that when Madam Bones looked at her, there was a small, fleeting smile she had.<p>

"After reviewing all evidence and arguments stated, the Wizengamot has ruled Marvin Ring, cleared of all charges," Madam Bones announced and sounded the wooden gavel again.

"Miss Black, thank you, thank you," the man sighed, shaking her hand continuously. When he was first recommended to her, he was skeptical of her because of her last name and family history, but after the trial, Marvin Ring was sure that not all Blacks were bad people.

"You're welcome. Congratulations Mr. Ring," she smiled before parting with him.

"Alexis," Madam Bones' stern and cool voice called her. "Congratulations. I heard from the others that you're back but I haven't been able to find a time to meet with you."

"Thank you Madam Bones," Alexis smiled sociably.

"You wouldn't mind if I recommend you as the lawyer for some cases later on would you?" she asked, her lips quirking up in a small smile.

"No, of course not," Alexis replied happily. "Definitely, thanks."

"I'll see you soon," the woman smiled before parting.

Hoping to be able to get home in time for dinner that night so Remus didn't have to reheat everything, Alexis walked swiftly down the hall while reading over the information for her next case and deciding what she'd have to set up for the argument. Her black robes were off and hanging down one shoulder, revealing her light blue flannel, black skinny jeans, and muggle shoes called sneakers that she enjoyed.

"Alexis," someone with a low and husky but soothing voice called her name.

She was caught by surprise and ended up running into the chest of a man that felt hard like a brick wall, and fell down, sprawled on her bum. Luckily she had a good grip on most of the papers in her hand and only a few letters flew out. Alexis grunted and looked up to see the charming chiseled face of Deacon Stronghold, her ex-fiancé and old flame.

"Are you ok?" he asked, helping her up and handing her the fallen papers.

"F…fine," she stuttered accidentally, smiling nervously at him as she regained herself.

"Uh," Deacon began nervously, scratching the side of his shoulder like he always does when he's flustered, she knew. "Nice job on the last trial. I heard from the others that you've gotten an invincible streak as a lawyer," he smiled.

She smirked a little, falling into the trance of his lovely dusty emerald eyes. "Thanks. I wouldn't want to say invincible though."

"You've never lost a trial."

"But I've never won an argument against you," she accidentally replied.

Deacon smiled a bit more genuinely as he scratched his shoulder again. "Uh…I know you feel awkward about…us. What do you say we forget the past and leave it all behind?"

"You're not angry?"

"I never was."

"_Oh bugger_," she thought, feeling even guiltier. "_How could he not be angry?_"

"Um…how's Pierre doing? Over in France?"

"Workaholic," she smirked and nodded.

Deacon watched her smile and felt his lips quirk up as well. "Are you and Pierre…?"

"No," she replied quickly. "Friends, that's all. We were never anything more."

"So…now you and I…"

Alexis felt a true smirk dance across her face as she took a breath and said, "Friends."

Deacon practically beamed as he grinned and nodded at her. "So…how about we go for a drink some time? I'll contact you when you're free?"

"Sounds good," she nodded.

Never before had she felt that awkward in her entire life. Alexis smiled once and walked away from him, fighting the urge to turn around. She managed to take about twenty steps until she gave into her temptation and discreetly glanced back, looking at him. Their eyes met for that one moment, and it seemed he'd turned to look at her too. Her mysterious dark eyes met his dusty emerald ones. Knowing herself all too well, Alexis knew she had to turn back around before she got herself lost in his gaze. She flashed him a smile and quickly turned around, making hasty steps to get away before they fall back into the past and repeat their mistakes.

* * *

><p>It was one of those rare days where Tonks actually got home before Alexis does. Ceasing the opportunity of an absent Alexis Black, Tonks decided that if she slipped a bottle of Ogden's Old firewhiskey from her cousin's massive secret stash. While Remus was in the library reading, Tonks paced every step of the house, searching for one of her cousin's many hiding places in a house built for the best game of hide and seek. Tonks checked all the locations she knew from the rotating bookshelf in the library to the compartment behind the mantelpiece. She still found none. After about half an hour of looking, Tonks sat down on the sofa, huffing.<p>

"She changed the location," Sirius smirked, sitting down beside Tonks with a bottle.

She raised an eyebrow and pointed a finger at him. "How did you…?"

"This was from the last time I found Lexi's hiding place. She changed the location afterwards and unfortunately, Moony told her that I use my sense of smell to sniff it out, so she came up with a charm that wards it off. Witty little girl," Sirius replied, taking another gulp.

"Great," Tonks huffed. "Can I have some of that?" she asked.

Sirius nodded and conjured up two beautiful wine glasses from the kitchen and poured Tonks a generous glassful. "I think drinking is in our blood," he smirked.

"I actually agree with you on that one," she nodded, emptying her glass in one take.

Sirius poured her more but he looked at his cousin Tonks with worry, watching as her hair morphed from a dark pink to a peaky violet. "I may not know you as well as Lexi does, but it's more than obvious that you're depressed."

"Really? I don't think it's obvious. People at work don't seem to notice."

"Because they're not your family. Now do you want to hear what I have to say or do you want to be stubborn like dear old Moony and block me out, wallowing in your depression?" Sirius asked. His expression was completely serious, a feat Tonks rarely ever saw on the man.

"I need all the help I can get. What do you have to say Padfoot?"

"I say…that you should forget about doing what you think is right, but do what your heart wants to do," he replied in a comforting yet stern voice.

Tonks turned to him, her head spinning a little as the alcohol began to kick in with its ghastly effect. "You sound like Lexi."

"We're all a Black you know," he shrugged. "And I don't feel disgusted admitting that I'm related to Alexis Black, or Nymphadora Tonks," he smirked.

Tonks managed to smile and shifted in her seat. "Alright, what if what my heart wants to do seems completely wrong and like it would be another mistake?"

"Well as long as you follow your heart, you can't say you regret it," he shrugged again.

"I think I need some time to think before I can make a decision."

"Thinking is dangerous cuz. It's those people who act on impulse and run on luck, that usually makes it out of everything unscathed," he winked. "Just look at me…well not unscathed but at least still very much alive and loving life," he smiled.

Tonks laughed a bit wistfully as she gave Sirius a light but genuine hug. "Thanks Sirius. Why can't you be like this more often when you're sober?"

"I am sober Tonks," he laughed. "You're the one who have been drinking the whole time," he spoke, pointing to Tonks with an empty glass of wine in her hand.

She laughed again. "Fine. Why can't you be like this more often?"

"Do you honestly want a sentimental Sirius Black as opposed to awesome normal me?"

She pretended to contemplate that thought for a while but then shook her head. "Then again, forget that. I like my wild, crazy and sometimes stupid cousin Sirius Black who can sometimes be quiet helpful and sentimental," she smiled.

"I'm glad you don't hate me," he smiled. "It's weird but my cousins are nicer to me than my brother or parents ever were. Our family is so messed up."

"I always saw the word cousin as being the closest family relation somehow."

"It's because of Lexi and me," Sirius smiled.

Tonks nodded. It was odd, but it was true. To the three of them, their cousins were always the closest one to them. Sure Tonks still had her parents, but there were some things that her parents wouldn't understand and pull through with her while her cousins, Sirius Black and Alexis Black would. And her cousins were closer to her than a brother or sister could ever seem, because in her world, her cousin was always the one willing to help her.

"I missed you Sirius."

"I missed you too. Now do me and Lexi a favor and settle this romantic problem between you and my best mate before Lexi and I begin resorting to our plans to get you together," he laughed, getting off the sofa and ruffling her hair a bit before heading upstairs, to the library no doubt. After he was done talking with Tonks, she had a feeling that Sirius was going to move smoothly over to Remus. Tonks shook her head and smiled. Thinking about her two cousins, if there was ever a flaw in them, it was because they simply cared too much. Tonks thought about Sirius' words and found them helpful. She wanted to do what her heart was screaming at her to do, but she was afraid to doing the wrong thing. Then she also remembered that Sirius said as long as she followed her heart, she can't say that she regretted it. Tonks smiled and rolled over on the couch with a minor headache, trying not to think as thinking was dangerous…

* * *

><p>Work became a routine as the days passed by. Tonks would show up at work, feeling tired and bloated. Then she'd sit down and finish all the urgent reports due that day, check up and investigate on some cases that usually turned out to be a false call, and then return to her cubicle for more paperwork. She'd put up a cheerful act all day but when she was alone, she'd feel disappointed and grumble, much like Mad-Eye Moody her mentor always did. The way things were, routine, wasn't exactly what she signed up for being an Auror.<p>

"Tonks dear," Tonks heard her fiancé call her as he entered her cubicle.

She sat straight up in her chair, rubbing her eyes as she yawed and faced him. "Wotcher."

"You're not going to believe the news," he smirked.

"What news?" she asked, focusing her attention on him and his dirty blonde hair.

"My parents decided to speed up the wedding since you're pregnant and they don't want you showing too much when you walk down the aisle. So we've decided on an earlier date for the engagement party to make it public," he grinned, leaning down and forcing a kiss on her.

"What do you mean Evan?"

"We're going to hold a party at my mansion on the twenty-third of this month. Then at the end of the party, we'll announce to the public that we're engaged. We'll get married at the end of August, and we'll be all set to prepare for the baby afterwards."

Tonks shrugged a bit. At least he thought of the baby. "Why is it so rushed?"

"My mother doesn't want you to be too tired or show too much during the wedding."

"And why don't I get a say in this?" She asked, realizing the twenty-third was the day right after the full moon, and it'd be almost impossible for Remus to come since he'd be too tired. Judging by the look on Evan's face, obviously he'd expected that.

"You've given my family the choice in all other aspects, this shouldn't be so different."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Why does it have to be on the twenty-third?"

"Actually it's the morning," Evan smirked. "Mother checked and said it'd be a beautiful morning to host an outdoor garden party." He paused for a moment, observing her icy expression. "I'm sorry your werewolf friend won't be able to attend," he smirked.

"He as a name and his name is Remus Lupin," Tonks spoke in a low voice.

"Come on Tonks, you didn't care this much about the dates and parties before. It's too late to change now anyways. Mother and father already sent out the invitations and we can't take them all back," Evan grinned and leaned in to kiss her again but he was refused.

"I'm busy Evan, we'll talk again some other time," she spoke, pushing him away.

"You talk to me as if we're nothing more than friends," he faked a frown.

She rolled her eyes. Sometimes, around him she felt nothing more than friends, maybe even less than that. "Just as long as I show up for the ceremony and all, right Evan?"

"That's what mother wanted. So you won't be stressed with all the preparations."

She scoffed. It was more like they were forcing this onto her, making all the decisions while she was forced to go there by guilt and conscience. Tonks turned back to her desk after Evan left, wondering what she was going to do. She had planned on checking on Remus the morning after the moon, worried about him and whether her wolfsbane potion worked properly or not, but it seemed that she would be unable to do that.

There was a soft knock at her cubicle and Tonks rolled her eyes, tossing her quill angrily onto the desk. "What do you want now?" she asked dryly.

"Wow, sorry if now's a bad time," Evelyn's cheerful voice sounded.

Tonks turned around with an immediate apologetic look on her eyes as she looked at her friend Evelyn. "Eve I'm so sorry, I thought you were someone else."

The look on Evelyn's smiling face made it seem as if nothing was wrong and Tonks hadn't accidentally scolded at her earlier, thinking she was Evan. "It's alright Tonks," she grinned. "But now you'll have to accompany me on this investigation. Feeling up for it?"

"Sure, it sounds better than sitting around here and doing reports."

"Great! Kingsley assigned this to me, it was actually his case but that lazy bloke realized he'd have more paperwork at the end of the day," she rolled her eyes, effectively stirring a small smile to dance upon Tonks' full red lips. "Anyways, a few people have filed a report about their neighbor claiming to be related to Sirius Black and using Dark Arts around the neighborhood. We have to speak with him and get to the bottom of this. His name is Allan Richards. His neighbors also stated that he plans to resurrect _he-who-must-not-be-named _again soon."

Tonks thought for a moment, unable to remember anyone in her deranged and messed up family named Allan Richards. She got up and grabbed her Auror robes with her badge and slipped it on, following Evelyn down to the lifts. "He must be mental then," Tonks commented. "I don't remember knowing anyone with that name in my crazy family."

"That's why we were also trained to handle mental patients in training Tonks."

"No, that's just what Mad-Eye trained us, that paranoid old codger," she laughed.

"At least now we're prepared," Evelyn laughed as well as they entered the lift.

They quickly headed to the Atrium and together apparated straight to Diagon Alley where the man named Allan Richards was to be found. Soon they approached a tall and narrow dark house and Tonks shuddered. Evelyn shrugged and proceeded to knock on the door. A tall, lanky, boney and malnourished man answered the door. His hair was streak black but looking unnatural. There were dark circles present under his eyes and his face looked hollow. Tonks remembered they way Sirius looked when she first saw him after years in Azkaban, and looking at this man, she was reminded of that look. But this man hadn't been to Azkaban.

"Mr. Richards?" Eve questioned, taking the lead while Tonks did back-up.

The man nodded shakily. "Yes that's me. Who are you people?" he asked in a hoarse, wheezy voice. Tonks noticed that the way he was gripping his doorframe seemed odd. His hand was shaking. His other hand wasn't in sight, and Tonks made note to be wary.

"We're Aurors," Eve replied, flashing her badge along with Tonks. "We've received complaints from your neighbors for various…oddities and have come to investigate."

"And what are these oddities miss?" he asked, beginning to smile oddly.

"There were claims of you using dark magic, you saying you're related to Sirius Black, and you saying you have plans to resurrect _he-who-must-not-be-named_."

He smiled, shakily, bearing ugly, yellowing teeth to them, his eyes looking cynical behind his shaggy faux black hair. "I am related to Sirius Black, he was my cousin," the man replied calmly, causing Tonks to unknowingly quirk an eyebrow. "But I never used dark magic, nor do I have any plans of resurrecting the dark lord."

"Well we'd still have to follow procedure and check your house. Do you mind Mr. Richards?" Eve asked, already beginning to step inside.

The man shook his head, shakily allowing them inside. Tonks walked in, immediately enveloped by the odd, moldy odor that covered the house. She looked around and began muttering the detections spells as a part of Auror protocol. One second later, Richards hastily grabbed something from the shelves and darted out the open door. Tonks turned around quickly and was right beside Evelyn as both Aurors began pursuit. Tonks' clumsiness luckily subsided during her Auror work and she made a long distance without stumbling.

Both Aurors were hot on the man's trail as they chased him down the streets of Diagon Alley, luckily not as crowded during work hours of the day. Their wands were out and Tonks noticed that his was as well, a long, dark wood wand gripped by a skeletal hand. She and Evelyn had to duck abruptly during their run when he suddenly fired a jet of red light at them.

"What was that?" Tonks asked as it narrowly missed them. It didn't hit the ground and erupt like a normal stunner did, and with Eve's experience in the field, she ought to know.

"Cruciatus Curse," Eve replied in a breath, her work face on and her nice smile gone. "That nut just earned himself a one way ticket to Azkaban."

Richards turned around and managed to send a few more spells their way, mostly stunners mixed in with a few torture curses but luckily no killing curse. Tonks wondered what kind of sick, deranged man they were chasing, but didn't have time to think any further as they closed up on him. Being the aggressive Auror that she was, Tonks leapt and tackled the man.

Within that split second, Tonks remembered that she was no longer alone and had another life to think of. Carefully, Tonks protected her belly with her wand hand while grabbing Richards and pulling him to the ground as she dropped. Evelyn was already on him, pinning his wand arm down as she placed a full body bind spell on him. The chase was luckily shorter than they had expected, but the encounter with the mental man was completely a surprise.

"You alright Tonks?" Evelyn asked, pulling Tonks up to her feet.

"Yeah, we should get him back to the Ministry," Tonks breathed, rubbing her belly.

"Your elbow's bleeding," Evelyn pointed out. "Let me fix that and check if you broke anything else during your aggressive bolt," she smiled a little. "Always the aggressive one."

"That's me," Tonks smiled.

Evelyn cleaned up the blood on Tonks' elbow, but the wound was still there. "It's just a scrape, a large band-aid should cover it up," Evelyn smiled. "Let's do a full check first, you're known for your clumsiness," she laughed a little before casting a soothing frost white charm.

Tonks looked down at the man and shook her head, certain he was probably some psychotic lunatic. "Now I'm even more certain I don't have a cousin named Allan."

Evelyn pulled back and Tonks noticed that her smile was replaced with a confused expression as she stared at Tonks' belly. Then Tonks realized she must have let her morph slip or something because she could suddenly see and feel her tiny bump. "Tonks…you're pregnant."

She hadn't planned to break the news to anyone other than her closest friends and family just yet. Tonks sighed and nodded. "Yeah, four months," she replied. "Everything's fine?"

Evelyn nodded and crossed her arms. "Why didn't you tell any of us? Is this why you seem so depressed or moody lately?"

Tonks hadn't realized that Evelyn noticed. "I guess."

"And is this the reason why Alexis suddenly returned from France?"

She nodded again. "Yeah, she was worried about me." Tonks hope she wouldn't be questioned any further, and Evelyn seemed to have understood the pleading look in Tonks' eyes for her to stop questioning and get the man back to the Ministry.

"I'll say," Evelyn replied softly and a small smile appeared again. "If I was Alexis, I'd be worried too knowing how clumsy you are. Come on, let's get this psycho back."

Glad for the change in topic, Tonks ignored the tiny sting on her elbow as she bent down and pulled the man up, accidentally pulling up his sleeve as well. When Tonks and Evelyn noticed what was tattooed onto the man's left forearm, they both stared at it in disbelief and looked up at each other. Tonks quickly covered it again just as Evelyn began to speak.

"That's the dark mark," she gasped.

"I thought they're all rounded up years ago," Tonks added, confused and slightly worried.

"We better take him back and have Kingsley check up on this," Evelyn spoke as she and Tonks levitated the man and apparated straight back from where they stood in Diagon Alley back to the Atrium of the Ministry. Once inside, both Aurors quickly rushed back up to their floor, chucking the arrested man into an interrogation room. Evelyn ran to find Kingsley while Tonks kept watch. She sat across from the man her arms folded much like Lexi and Sirius as she was contemplating many things. If the man had a genuine dark mark on his forearm, he must be a strong supporter of _you-know-who_. If so, why would he honestly believe that Sirius Black was a supporter of _you-know-who_ as well? Unless…

Kingsley came in quickly, taking a seat beside Tonks with an icy expression masked on his face as he glared at the man. He wore what they all called the _Auror mask_, when they hid their emotions behind and icy façade when faced with a criminal. Tonks sat to the side, watching and contemplating as Allan Richards shakily replied to all the questions thrown at him. It surprised Tonks that Kingsley knew so much about how to tell if he was a true Death Eater.

"And why do you claim that you are related to Sirius Black?" Kingsley asked. There was the question that had been boggling Tonks' mind the whole time she was there.

"Because I am," the man replied, unfazed. "The Black family is infamous for its ties with the dark lord. When Sirius Black escaped Azkaban, it could only be predicted that from twelve years ago, he too is a strong supporter of the dark lord."

Kingsley was about to speak when Tonks accidentally called out, "You're wrong." She knew her cousin Sirius and after spending time with him, the man may be a complete git sometimes, but he is not a supporter of _he-who-must-not-be-named_. "Sirius doesn't support him. You're lying. You're not even related to the Black family," she spoke icily.

"And how do you know? You're a young Auror, you wouldn't know history…"

"Yes I do, I know more than you," Tonks replied sharply, suddenly feeling a need to watching her mouth. "You don't know Sirius."

"Yes I do," the man replied. "He and I were close."

"Alright, if you're close to Sirius, there's one obvious trait you have to know about him. What does he despise the most?"

"Easy," the man smirked almost sadistically. "Mudbloods."

"Wrong you bloody git. He hates his family with the exception of three people," she snapped. Kingsley this man is a nut," she huffed.

The interrogation ended shortly after her words and Kingsley ordered Dawlish to bring the man to complete his papers and be sent immediately to Azkaban for the dark mark and use of the Cruciatus Curse. Tonks was about to leave, heading home, when Kingsley suddenly pulled her back. He grabbed onto her shoulder and Tonks nearly stumbled.

"Tonks, can I have a word?" Kingsley asked quickly. She nodded. "You and Sirius Black…is there something going on?" he asked, searching for the words.

"What do you mean King? Yeah he's my cousin through tenuous connections, but it's not like I'm hiding him in my house or anything," Tonks replied, suddenly feeling a bit nervous after what she said. Her legs weren't the only clumsy part of her. Often, her mouth was clumsy too.

"Right, I guess I was just over thinking some things," Kingsley nodded. "How'd you know that about Sirius Black though?" he asked.

Tonks searched for a proper explanation and luckily found one. "When I was little he often babysat me when my parents are out," she replied. "If we're done, I kind of want to go home on time tonight," she smiled nervously, beginning to head out.

* * *

><p>Again it was one of those rare nights where Tonks came home without Alexis in the house. She walked in, surprised by the silence she felt. She knew Sirius wasn't in the house as well, because usually he'd either be lying on the sofa drunk and out cold, or meddling with Alexis' television set, or dancing along to some song he had turned on.<p>

"Padfoot went out for a walk with Alexis," Remus spoke as he appeared from the kitchen. "You don't have to worry," he smiled. His smile seemed a bit unnatural, but it had been that way ever since she told him she was pregnant.

"Alright, I'll just head upstairs then," Tonks replied, smiling wanly at him.

"Wait, Nymphadora," he suddenly called, walking over to her.

"Remus what's wrong?" she asked.

He suddenly took her hand and pulled it up gently taking a closer look at the small scrape on her elbow. "Did you get hurt at work?" he asked, worry dawning on his face.

"No I just sort of fell and scraped my elbow," Tonks replied.

"Is the baby alright?" Remus asked quickly, looking even more worried when he heard that she fell and scraped her elbow. Tonks was shocked when Remus suddenly placed his gentle hand on her belly, feeling the baby inside, checking if she was alright. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

Tonks froze at the gentle and loving look in his eyes. She was about to practically melt under his gaze. Why didn't she feel that way with Evan, the father of the baby? Whenever Evan felt her stomach, she felt nothing special. But when Remus suddenly did the same, she felt her heart jump and dance inside her chest. She felt flustered, and she felt herself blush.

"I…I'm fine Remus. Evelyn did a full check up for me," she replied, fighting back a true and genuine smile along with her urge to just hold him tight.

Remus sighed. He looked more like a distressed and worried ideal husband than just a simple friend. Tonks felt her heart ache, knowing that because of her stupidity and one night full of mistakes, she and this sweet, kind, gentle man could never be together. She wanted to slap herself as she watched his smile turn genuine.

"I'm glad then. If something happened to that baby, it wouldn't be good. Go get changed Dora. Alexis actually made dinner tonight. If you'd like you can join me back in the kitchen."

"Remus, thank you," she spoke softly, unable to hold herself when she smiled and placed her gentle palm over his calloused but tender and warm hand that was still on her stomach.

The two seemed to have frozen in that ardent position for a long while. Remus felt his heart soar as his hand was on Dora's stomach. The baby was four months old and he didn't know if it was just his imagination or actually reality, but he felt like he could feel the child inside her. It interested him and it made him smile somehow at the odd workings of nature. Tonks watched as Remus slowly relaxed and eased up as he was now feeling her stomach. She also noticed that her bump was slightly bigger than before and deemed that she must be early to show.

When they stood there, close together, Tonks couldn't deny that that was the exact feeling of family she always longed for. She could picture them together like that in her mind which made her smile. Unfortunately, that moment would only last for a little bit longer, she knew. She didn't want to think of anything else at the time, smiling as Remus was amazed by the way he could feel the baby develop inside her.

_Love is too harsh, it decides for when we meet on its own  
><em>_To hold your hand  
><em>_You, who I can't love, my heart goes out to you  
><em>_I can't put out this passionate desire to love  
><em>_Which path to my goal do I have to take to keep from hurting anyone?  
><em>_I can't love you, but I still have hope  
><em>_I always want to send you L-O-V-E  
><em>_I can't stop this desire to love  
><em>_But I can't love you; you're not mine anymore_


	5. How to Dance with the Moon

**Author's Note:**

Hey, I'm sorry the updates are very unpredictable. I'm starting school again ugh and so I don't know when I'll have time to work on my fan fictions since I just realized AP classes are ridiculously hard! But I'm still keeping to my promise that I won't leave you a month hanging with no updates. So please bear with my inconsistency ^_^ Thank you. I hope you enjoy, read and review. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 05 – How to Dance with the Moon<strong>

_Every time you come back,  
><em>_I hated the guy that made you cry  
><em>_I'd rather protect you,  
><em>_Although I don't know if it will make it better  
><em>_This time I'll hold you and love you is what I thought  
><em>_Baby, come to me now  
><em>_And be my lady. I've watched you for too long  
><em>_I stood there with no words, hiding my pitiful heart  
><em>_As a friend, to remain as friends,  
><em>_I had to push the confessions down my throat  
><em>_But now I'll confess to you, I love you…_

Remus was in the house's library, the only place he could find peace at the moment. His eyes were buried in a book, but he wasn't reading. He was thinking. Hiding in the very back of the book in his hand was the white invitation Tonks had given him earlier that day. He took a look at it, and suddenly found an urge within himself to rip it up and refuse to accept it as reality. But the logical mind of his told him not to do so, and so Remus hid it in the back pages of the book, hoping that he could just forget about it.

Suddenly, he heard a noise and some shuffling outside the door to the library. The door opened up a bit and just as Sirius stumbled in, partly drunk, Remus caught a glimpse of Alexis.

"What's up Moony? Why the long face?" Sirius asked, staggering over to a chair.

Remus pretended to turn the page. "You're drunk Padfoot, get some rest."

"Not until I knock some sense into you," Sirius replied, hiccupping.

"There's nothing between me and Nymphadora. If we're going to talk about this again Padfoot, then just forget about it. She's getting married for god's sake."

"But you don't want her to get married," Sirius replied, having some sense in his mind.

"No one cares what I want. Besides, what I want isn't good for her."

"What do you mean it's not good for her? What you want is what she wants."

"No it's not. I want to be with her, and it's not good for her because I'm dangerous and she deserves someone better, someone like Evan Rosier who she is getting married to."

"I'm sure Tonks wants you. You just won't give it a try."

"She doesn't want me, she's engaged," Remus spoke pulling out the open invitation and tossing it on the glass coffee table before them. "The invitations are out."

"They're not wedding invitations mate. It's just an invitation to a formal gathering."

"To a formal gathering where Evan Rosier and Nymphadora are going to announce that they are engaged. It's too late for anything more than friendship between Dora and me."

"It's never too late," Sirius grinned. "You can go to that party and stop Tonks from making that announcement. Snog her senseless if you have to. I don't mind…yet."

"It's too late Padfoot. The party's in a few days. And it's on the morning right after the full moon. I'll barely be able to get out of bed, not to mention make it to a party, act like nothing is wrong, and ask Dora not to marry Evan Rosier."

"Well ask her now. I'm sure if you tell her not to, she won't. Lexi told me Tonks is pretty stubborn and she mentioned that you told her to go get married to Rosier. Just tell her not to."

"You don't get it Padfoot," Remus shook his head and stood up, placing the book back on the shelf. "It's too complicated. Nymphadora will be happy with Evan Rosier. He could give her things I never could. He'll be able to provide the best for the baby in Dora's stomach. I could never do that. Don't you see that being with Rosier is better for your cousin than being with me? I'm used to being alone, I can deal with it. Nymphadora on the other hand, she's young, she needs someone who won't burden her and will be able to provide for her. She needs someone who won't make her an outcast, and that someone is not me. Yes, I told Dora she should get married to Evan Rosier, because I feel that it's what's best for her."

"But it's not what you want for her," Sirius retorted, standing up to be even with Remus. "It's what is best, but it's not what you want. For god's sake Remus Lupin, just fight for her."

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked towards the door, holding a hand up to a half drunk, half sober Sirius Black. He'd hoped to find peace within the library, but it seemed he'd have to find a new place to relax in. Remus opened the door, thinking about taking a walk in the vast and beautiful backyard of the house, but he was suddenly met with Alexis Black who stood across the hall, her arms crossed and had been listening to the conversation.

"I thought you'd listen better to Sirius," she sighed. "Guess I was wrong."

Remus shook his head. "I want the best for Nymphadora. Rosier is what's best."

"What's best for her isn't material possessions. What's best for her is genuine love. Rosier is material possessions, while you're genuine love. Remus you've still got time to tell her that you want her. She's only marrying Rosier because she thinks she can't care for the baby alone. If you don't want the baby, Sirius and I are here to help."

"I want the baby, the child's innocent," Remus replied softly. "The baby has nothing to do with this. I just think it'd be better for her if she wasn't made an outcast or discriminated."

"You_ think_," Alexis pointed out. "La pensée est dangereuse."

"Alexis, don't you see?" Remus sighed. "Even if I try, I won't be able to give her the best. I can't be a good father being what I am. I could hurt Nymphadora and the baby. I don't want that. I want the best for them both, mother and child."

"Remus," she began but she shook her head and massaged her temples. "Never mind. I'll leave this to you and Tonks. Sirius and I have done all that we could to help. Get some rest."

Alexis closed the door behind her and turned her attention to a half drunk, half sober Sirius Black who sat on the sofa, his eyes glaring at the white invitation sitting opened on the glass coffee table, looking at it as if it offended him. She shook her head while walking over to the stereo player and turned it on, switching to a random song on replay.

_I stood there with no words, hiding my pitiful heart  
><em>_As a friend, to remain as friends,  
><em>_I had to push the confessions down my throat  
><em>_But now I'll confess to you, I love you…_

"You up for a drink Sirius?" she asked him, resorting back to her usual preference of dealing with problems, alcohol. It seemed to be a running trait in their family.

"I'm always up for a drink these days," Sirius grumbled and rubbed his face.

Alexis took her wand out and disapparated right in front of him. Sirius raised an eyebrow, wondering where his cousin suddenly went and what she was doing. Suddenly Alexis apparated right back and appeared that time with a bottle of Ogden's Old firewhiskey and two tall, empty wine glasses. He smirked as she uncorked the bottle and poured them each a generous glass.

"You're a clever one," he spoke, taking a large swallow. "You put it somewhere only you know and have to apparate to get it. I would've never guessed."

"All that just to keep your snooping nose out of my stash," she sighed, taking a drink.

"I honestly think we care too much. Moony and Tonks are making my drinking habits worse than it already is," Sirius commented, pouring himself a glass after he'd finished.

"She's my cousin and the closest family member to me, I can't help but worry. Things will resolve itself soon…hopefully. Les choses ont toujours une façon de se mettre en place."

"Lexi you're speaking French," Sirius laughed softly. "And they better. I'm tired of seeing a depressed Tonks and an even more depressed Moony. This wasn't what I expected to deal with out of prison. I'd rather be back in Azkaban," Sirius sighed. He then turned to Alexis to see her raise an eyebrow at him. "Alright, maybe not. But Moony and Tonks should just confess their undying love to each other soon," he exaggerated. "For god's sake we should just lock them up in a closet and have them snog each other senselessly," he groaned, taking another swallow.

"Maybe there is _one_ more thing we could do for them, but we'll have to tell a little white lie when the full moon comes," Alexis suddenly began, her index finger rubbing the side of her cheek, a gesture of hers whenever she was contemplative. She turned to look at her cousin in his eyes, the same color as hers. A small smirk came across Sirius' face. They both had an unspoken understanding of each other as their smirk turned identical.

* * *

><p>It was the day of the full moon and Tonks was edgy and nervous, wondering if anything had gone wrong with the wolfsbane potion she made for Remus. She was sure everything was accurate, but she couldn't help but worry. He'd been fine taking it for the past week, but it all came down to that night. When the full moon appear from the horizon, she'd know if she made the potion right. Tonks was nervous and worried as she rubbed her face, hoping for her work day to end already so she could get home and check on a very tired Remus with full moon symptoms. Her worries weren't helped when she was suddenly called into Kingsley's office.<p>

Kingsley, the tall black wizard sat behind his messy desk filled with maps and sightings of Sirius Black. Tonks felt overwhelmed just looking at them. There were even claims of Sirius being somewhere in North America. She had to hide a snicker since it was so far off.

"King, why did you call me in here?" Tonks asked, trying to sound casual.

"Tonks I have a question for you. Where do you suppose Sirius Black is?"

"What?" she replied, unable to help herself from showing her surprise.

"I just can't piece it together. There has to be something I'm missing," Kingsley sighed. "I'm quite certain he's still in Britain. All the other claims of him being anywhere else are total bogies with paranoid witches and wizards wanting their residence checked up. Black has to still be in Britain, but I can't find him. He has to be receiving help."

"I'd help you King, but I'm not on this investigation so I don't know anything."

"Tonks do you think Black is receiving help?" Kingsley asked her, his eyes trying to pry the truth out of her. "Is there something I'm missing?"

She was afraid he'd suspect her from that small time she defended Sirius during an interrogation with a psychotic ex-Death Eater. Tonks had prepared for this and she hoped her act would work. "There is a chance he'd gone out of Europe, out of the Ministry's jurisdiction."

Kingsley nodded, partly believing it. "Or someone could be hiding him," the man suddenly snapped his fingers. "Tonks, sorry I just needed some help brainstorming with a friend," he smiled a bit before rushing to his feet. "I've got to go look up on this."

Tonks was utterly confused as Kingsley rushed out the door. She had a feeling he was beginning to suspect her, but then he didn't seem to be suspicious at all. Tonks only shrugged and made her way out of Kingsley's office. She was still worried, worried about Remus and the full moon, and worried about Sirius now as well as the Ministry was cracking down on him. When she got outside, deep in her thoughts Tonks suddenly ran into her cousin, both of them falling to the ground and landing on their bum. Looking at Alexis staggering to get up, Tonks thought she looked drunk almost, but then realized her cousin was just in great need of sleep.

"Lexi you look like you're about ready to die," Tonks commented, helping her stand.

"I am about ready to die," she grumbled along with a few other French phrases Tonks couldn't quite hear. "I had to get up early yesterday, and I got no sleep at all last night, and I just came out of the longest trial ever," Alexis whined, her black trial robes still hanging from one shoulder while she wore a navy blue cardigan over a white camisole. "J'ai besoin de sommeil."

Tonks soon discovered that Alexis reverts to French when she's unaware of it sometimes and shook her head. She patted her cousin on the back apologetically, knowing it was her fault Alexis had been up all night. "Sorry Lexi for making you help me clean up the basement."

"It's alright, I should have done that a while ago. I'm just complaining. I need sleep!"

She sighed and could only manage an apologetic look at her cousin, unsure of what to do or how to help. "Still, I'm sorry Lexi. And you still have trials to go to today."

Alexis shook her head and waved a hand. "Stop apologizing," she yawned. "Why were you in Kingsley Shacklebolt's office? I just saw him rush down the hall."

"He was questioning me on Padfoot's location. It's really confusing. I think he's suspecting me, but then I think he's not suspicious as well."

"Just ignore it. Don't talk about Padfoot anymore and hopefully it'll all blow over."

"That's what I was thinking. I've really got to get home early today to check on Remus."

She scoffed. "The sun hasn't even set yet, Remus will be fine."

"It's my first time making wolfsbane for him though. I want to be sure it works."

"Tonks if you love him you should just be with him. L'amour ne doit pas être si compliqué." She smirked a bit when Tonks made a confused face with her French. "Love shouldn't be this complicated," she translated.

Tonks sighed and placed a gentle hand over the visible bump she now had under her Auror robes. "I wish," she spoke softly. She wondered if it was fair for her to be with Remus with the baby in her. It seemed so selfish of her to make him share the burden with her.

* * *

><p>When the wrought golden grills of the lift opened up to the Atrium, Alexis was just about to fall over and sleep, uncaring of where she was. She pushed herself off the side wall of the lift, her hair slightly disheveled but she patted it smooth again. Often during times like these she wished she was like her cousin, a metamorphmagus who could at least morph away the visible signs of tiredness. Alexis could feel the dark circles present under her eyes as she tried to conceal a yawn. She got out of the lift and walked a little until she suddenly ran into someone, hitting whoever it was hard and feeling like she'd just smacked herself against a brick wall.<p>

She was about to fall back, stumbling, when a set of strong, lean but muscular arms held her upright. "Alexis are you ok?" Deacon's worried voice came into her mind.

He was looking at her, holding her tight and really close, and she felt her heart race, even though she was dead tired. Alexis shook her head. "Why do we keep meeting like this?"

"Are you lacking sleep again?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "You're always like this when you don't get enough sleep. Do you have any more trials today?"

She nodded and groaned a bit. "I have one in about an hour. I have all the preparations done and everything. I just need to prepare some cases for tomorrow so I can go home early."

Deacon nodded and suddenly took his spot beside her, supporting her up by her waist as he held her tightly like they always did a year ago. "Here come on," he spoke.

"Where are we going?"

"To the park," he answered simple before apparating both him and her out of the Ministry's Atrium and to a muggle park which she recognized. The park was large and there were few people in it. It was beautiful, decorated with stone fountains and statues of famous muggles and angelic beings as well. They had apparated straight to a fountain on an empty side of the park, the fountain and them being the only ones there concealed within a few layers of trees, shrubs, and rose bushes. That spot was there spot. It was the same spot they'd always apparate to, and it was the same spot Alexis could always fall asleep at."We did this all the time before you left. Whenever you need to catch up on sleep I'd take you to this park," he smiled.

"You remembered?" she asked, looking up at him, meeting his dusty emerald eyes with her dark eyes in question. Alexis suddenly remembered their past together, a past she had hoped to put behind. She remembered before whenever she was dead tired or sleepy, Deacon would always bring her to the park and watch over her as she slept. He'd wake her up in time for her next trial or when it was getting late. She thought he'd forgotten.

"It's only been a year. Here, lay down here," he spoke, setting her down on a soft patch of grass. "I'll wake you up in exactly fifty-five minutes so you won't be late for your next trial."

"What about you? Don't you have something to do in the fifty-five minutes?"

He shook his head. "I was just going to finish paperwork. They could wait."

She sighed and leaned back, smiling. "Merci beaucoup mon héros."

Alexis was an easy sleeper, and within minutes she was already comfortably asleep, lying on her side as she unconsciously snuggled against his body. Deacon allowed himself to relax as he watched over her, watching her sleep. He missed her so much over the one year she left, but he couldn't be mad at her, he could never blame her. When they were together before, things truly had been too stressful, and he was sure that logically if she'd stayed, they wouldn't even have a friendship anymore. He sighed and allowed his smile to show as he tucked a strand of black and blonde hair out of her face. She slept soundly. That was so her, Alexis Black. She may seem like a strong, tough, and independent woman, but like any other woman she too has a soft side that requires a man to care for. Deacon smiled. He missed her so much.

* * *

><p>After hastily escaping from work before sunset, Tonks had managed to get home right on time as Remus prepared to go down to the basement for the night. Though she made sure that they had a bed set down there along with anything else that Remus might need, Tonks still couldn't help but worry. She'd known from Remus that full moon transformations are painful and embarrassing, but to what extent she didn't know. Tonks had never been that close to Remus during a transformation before and she wondered just how much pain he was put in and how he could so calmly repeat that every month of his life.<p>

Walking into the serene modern house that sat well concealed and almost unplottable within miles of rolling hills and trees, Tonks suddenly felt a feeling of emptiness. Sirius was sitting on the sofa, finishing a glass of wine out of who knew how many he had before. Tonks looked around for Remus but settled that he must have gone down to the basement already as the sun was beginning to set.

"Home so early? We didn't expect you to be home until after moonrise."

"I wanted to make sure Remus is ok," Tonks replied. "Can I go down to the basement?"

Sirius nodded and got up, walking with her down the narrow hall towards the single black door at the end. "You'll only have a few minutes though. Moony wouldn't want you to see him transform as it is kind of daunting to watch when he's your good friend."

"What about you?" Tonks asked as they began descending the metal stairs.

"I've gotten used to it. Actually this is the first time I've seen him transform while on wolfsbane too. Last month when I met him, my forgetful old friend had forgotten to take the last dose of his wolfsbane and nearly ended up eating Harry Potter," Sirius laughed.

"Padfoot, Dora, what are you doing down here?" Remus asked, sitting up from his position on the bed. He was reading a book while waiting for the sun to set. From the small basement window, Tonks could see that the sun was beginning its descent.

"I wanted to make sure you're ok and the wolfsbane is working," Tonks replied.

His face was tired and he seemed ill almost. Remus was paler than before and he seemed peaky, boney, and malnourished. There were dark circles present under his eyes while his premature lines seem to have deepened. Tonks wanted to hold him and she wanted to help him in any way she could, but she knew of none other and Remus wouldn't let her be of any more help.

Remus smiled wanly. "Thank you Dora, I'm pretty sure it's working. I just finished the last dose and I feel perfectly normal for a pre-moon feeling," he replied, gesturing to the empty glass that sat at the bedside. "You should probably put some wards on the door though, just in case. Padfoot can seal them when he goes back up."

Tonks nodded silently and proceeded to place wards on the door along with Sirius. "He'll be fine right?" she asked Sirius softly.

Her lanky, black haired cousin nodded. "A few scratches here and there, but he'll be fine. Don't worry I'll seal the wards when I go back up later in the night."

"It's almost time," Remus spoke up. "Nymphadora, I would appreciate it if you don't see me transform or come anywhere near me for tonight," he spoke in the gentlest, softest, velvet like voice. "There's always a small chance that I could hurt you so please be careful."

Tonks nodded and slowly left the basement as Sirius came back down the stairs with Remus. She wasn't going to argue with him, she was too tired of their argument and she was sure Remus was tired as well. It was always the same argument over and over again. Both parties are too stubborn to take a step down, and Tonks will just have to live with it.

Back upstairs, Tonks tried to find something to do to distract her mind from worrying. Everything seemed to be going as planned, but just thinking about Remus being in pain made her worry and made her thoughts wander to the worst case scenarios. She sat down in the living room in the same exact spot Sirius had taken earlier and chose to finish his bottle of firewhiskey he had out. Tonks never had to question why it was always firewhiskey, because being related to Alexis Black meant that there was a whole storage of alcohol hidden somewhere in the house.

She took a large swallow as the drink burned her throat a bit but the alcohol soothed her senses. Tonks didn't know what else to do so she sat back and turned stared out to the open window, watching as the sun vanished from the sky and the bright white lunar orb appeared in the darkness as the light bulb in the sky. She gazed up longingly at the moon, seeing it as Remus. She wanted to dance with him again, just like they used to when she was little. Tonks closed her eyes for a moment and remembered when she was a little child, Remus would always pick her up and dance with her. Then she remembered when she began attending Hogwarts, he'd still dance with her, except with more of a grown-up feel to each step they took. And finally Tonks remembered that one night at the graduation dance, how Remus was the one she danced with, making her smile and being her last dance. As she reminisced upon the past, Tonks couldn't help but smile a bit. She opened her eyes again and continued gazing up longingly at the moon. She wished she could dance with the moon forever, but that wish seemed impossible now as she placed a gentle hand over her belly.

As the moon ascended higher into the sky, Tonks suddenly heard a wolf howling. The howl was very close but very far at the same time. It was a longing howl, a sad and longing howl that made her heart quake with a yearning to be in the arms of the howl's owner. The howl was sad, as if singing a very sad lullaby about the hardships of its owner's life. Tonks felt as if by that howl, Remus was secretly revealing to them all how damaged he was.

Her eyes were distant as she took another swallow from the half empty bottle of firewhiskey. The howling continued, serenading the moon as the night sky grew darker, pitch black. Tonks rubbed her stomach gentle, knowing that alcohol isn't good, but she couldn't hold herself back. She yearn not to feel, and the firewhiskey was helping her mentally. Tonks closed her eyes tightly for a moment as the howling finally stopped. Then she heard soft footsteps coming from the narrow hall that led down to the basement. Tonks hadn't realized it but an hour or two must have passed her by already.

"Great, Lexi said if I give you alcohol she'll hex me," Sirius sighed with a small smirk on his face as he looked down at Tonks who still held the half empty bottle in her hand.

"Our dear cousin Lexi worries too much. What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Tonks sighed. She was right though. Her cousin does care too much and it would only bring her trouble.

Sirius sat down beside Tonks and took the bottle away from her. Tonks protested, but she didn't put up a fight as she was too mentally tired to scream or yell. All she wanted to do was sit there and wallow in her depression. Sirius suddenly tucked back a strand of her hair that had changed from dark pink to a brunette brown.

"You're not the Tonks I remembered," he sighed. "Don't let this depression get to you. What happened to the goofy little girl who won't let anything upset her for longer than five minutes?" Sirius asked her, setting the bottle aside.

"Little girls grow up and change Sirius," she replied wanly.

"You're only twenty-one. You shouldn't be worrying about all this stuff right now. You should be out having fun with your friends and family, doing reckless stuff that will get your mother to hex and scream at you but still having fun. You shouldn't be worried about a kid, or about your future husband, or how you're going to support yourself in the future. Those kinds of thoughts are saved for people in their thirties like me."

"It's not like I want to," Tonks replied, looking down at her hands.

"Lexi told me that before she left, you were that kind of girl though. You were reckless, clumsy, and carefree. It's because of this engagement that's got you so depressed."

"I'm not depressed, just worried and confused."

"You're depressed Tonks. I may have been away from you lot for twelve years, but I know how to tell if Nymphadora Tonks is depressed or not. Your hair for one is an obvious clue. And just being around you. What happened to the customary 'wotcher' and bright grin? What happened to all the cursing, swearing, and playful threatening? What happened to all the pranks and snorts and laughs? I haven't seen much or any of it ever since I saw you again."

Tonks rubbed her face and sighed. He was right, and she didn't know how to respond.

"I want to see you happy again."

"I need Remus to be happy again," Tonks mumbled softly, almost inaudibly.

"Tell him then. Remus can be a little thick sometimes. You've just gotta push a little."

"I've tried that, for so long and now I've failed," she replied, rubbing her belly again.

"Tonks, don't let this child keep you from being happy. When the baby is born and it learns that because of it its mother isn't happy, the baby wouldn't want that. I know you're afraid to burden Remus with the baby because it isn't fair. I understand that. But Remus is afraid of burdening you too, with his lycanthropy. But you don't care about his lycanthropy, and he doesn't care about you being pregnant. You two are meant for each other and you're just being stubborn when you're trying to deny the fact that you'll be a lot happier together."

"How do you ask a guy to help you raise a child that's not his? It's completely selfish and unreasonable," Tonks replied.

"You don't ask," Sirius replied, being completely serious with her. "It just happens naturally. Just follow your heart and things always have a way of simply falling into place."

Tonks thought about his words for a moment and after a while, she managed to reveal a small smile. "Why can't you be this sentimental all the time?"

Sirius too managed a small smile, feeling like he'd done some good. "Do you honestly want that? It'd be completely boring if I was gentle and sentimental all the time."

Tonks nodded and smiled. "You're right."

"Go talk to him then," Sirius beckoned, nodding his head towards the hall.

"He won't let me. Besides, you sealed the wards, I won't be able to get in."

"Do you honestly think a couple wards like that could keep an Auror like you out?" Sirius questioned. "Besides I didn't seal it yet," he winked. "Remus doesn't remember what happens when he's in his werewolf form. You can go talk to him and at least get it off your chest. It'll make you feel better," he smirked warmly.

"He doesn't remember anything?" Tonks asked. She never knew that.

Sirius calmly shook his head. "Nothing at all," he lied. He knew of course Remus would remember, he's on wolfsbane and he always did recall a few things even when they were teenagers. Sirius was simply doing his best to help, telling a little white lie during the full moon. He trusted Remus and knew he wouldn't hurt Tonks, so there was no harm being done.

"I'll go talk to him," Tonks nodded. "Don't seal the wards. I have to get out before sunrise because I have to come early to the stupid party tomorrow morning," she sighed.

"I know," Sirius smiled and nodded. "I'll take care of Remus and Lexi will be there with you in case you need her for anything."

"Thanks," Tonks replied. "It's always good to have cousins like you two."

"We're closer than brothers and sisters, that's for sure," Sirius smiled as he leaned back in the chair and emptied the bottle of firewhiskey into the wine glass and swished it around before he swallowed it all in one take.

As Tonks disappeared down the hall again, Sirius shook his head and smiled. From the mischievous and witty look he and Alexis had exchanged a few nights ago about telling a little white lie on the night of the full moon, Sirius really felt that maybe this white lie was the one thing that they needed all along. He remembered the unspoken but mutual understanding between him and Alexis of what he would have to do and smirked. People from the Black family, whether they want to admit it or not, always have a way of understanding each other, no words needed to be spoken or written down.

"_Note to self: Tell Lexi that she's brilliant. Of course Remus remembers everything even in wolf form. But Tonks doesn't know that and they could finally have an unyielding heart to heart,_" Sirius thought to himself as he got up from the white leather sofa. He was walking around the house hoping to snoop out Lexi's secret room where no doubt hundreds of bottles of fine wine and firewhiskey and delicious treats were kept.

* * *

><p>When she began walking down the metal stairs leading to the basement again, Tonks realized that all the lights had been turned off and the only thing illuminating the room was the vision of the full moon from the basement window and a small blue illuminating orb floating in the middle of the room. There was a soft blue light that made things just barely visible and with the presence of the moon shining directly through the small window, there was a milky feel to the basement. Tonks took careful steps descending the stairs, releasing her nervous breath when she didn't stumble or trip. She then looked around and almost immediately, her eyes fell on the large brown wolf that lay in the far corner of the room.<p>

She took slow steps approaching him, seeing his head perk up slightly and his eyes open. She was unfazed however, even when she was staring into the wolf's black amber eyes. To her, even when it's the eyes of the wolf, she will always feel the same way she does with his gentle blue eyes. Tonks closed in on Remus and she could hear his soft groans he emitted, perhaps telling her to stay away. Sirius said Remus wouldn't remember anything in his wolf form, so Tonks chose to keep that idea.

"Wotcher Remus," she smiled, feeling a new sensation in the greeting.

"_Nymphadora!_" Remus thought, surprised. He would've growled or barked to speak with her, but surely she wouldn't understand. Remus wondered why she was down here and why she would risk getting hurt to come down here. "_A few simple wards wouldn't be able to keep an Auror out, especially if said Auror had helped set them._" Remus sighed and Tonks understood.

She sat down beside him, cautious at first, but quickly relaxing when Remus didn't show any threat. Tonks edged a little closer to him. She still wasn't touching him however. "I know I shouldn't be down here," she spoke softly. "But I can't stand just sitting up there and doing nothing but worry about you."

"_Dora you shouldn't worry_," Remus thought, wishing she could understand him.

"Whenever I see you after a full moon, you'd always look battered and beaten, as if you were attacked by an animal. I wanted to make sure you weren't this time," she sighed. "Since I'm here now, you wouldn't mind me staying right?" she smiled a bit, scooting closer to him.

Remus' eyes quirked up once Tonks placed a gentle palm on his head, rubbing his thin, light brown fur. It may seem like she's petting a wolf, but to Tonks, she felt like she was close to Remus. She smiled, scratching behind his ear, discovering that werewolf Remus enjoyed it a lot.

"_You shouldn't do this no matter how enjoyable it's making this moon_," Remus thought.

"Sirius said you won't remember anything tonight. So you won't protest if I do this."

"_Sirius?_" Remus thought, his eyes widening a bit. "_Of course he's behind this. Dora doesn't know because I never told her much about my full moon nights. But Padfoot…oh…_"

Tonks suddenly shifted and turned her back to him, leaning back into his hold. She was resting on his chest while he was laying on the ground, his muzzle safely away from her but his eyes still on hers. Remus could feel Tonks shift slightly, snuggling against him.

It was getting late in the night and Tonks knew she should probably go to bed, but she wanted to be around Remus a little bit longer, even if he is furry and won't remember her presence there with him that night. At least he didn't protest when she snuggled against him and when she petted him and laid her head gently on his soft brown fur. She had conjured up a blanket with her wand and placed it over the two of them while picking up the book he was reading earlier and began reading it herself. She only got to a few lines until she felt like she wanted to speak with him again.

"Lexi told me that once Evan make the announcement tomorrow, it will be a lot harder to turn back," Tonks began speaking. Her voice was soft by his ear and Remus was still high and alert, his amber eyes watching her closely, yearning to be even closer to her, but he was afraid he'd hurt her. "What I don't understand is why you didn't protest in me getting married to him."

"_Because he could give you things I never could,_" Remus sighed inwardly to himself.

Suddenly, Tonks' gentle hand held his face up so his amber eyes were looking back into her dark ones. She was studying him closely, but unlike all the other sets of eyes he'd seen, hers were soft, gentle, and caring. Hers were warm and tender, endearing. He wanted to see them more often, but Remus knew that soon she'll be married and he won't be able to anymore.

"You say you're too poor, too old, and too dangerous," she spoke again. "But you're wrong. I don't care about any of those things. I want you because you're you Remus." Tonks was beginning to speak her heart now. She allowed herself to stop thinking, because both her cousins have driven into her head that _thinking was dangerous_. "I don't care if you're poor. As long as you allow me to love you we'll get through everything. I don't care if you're old. You're not old anyways, you're still a charming young man. And I don't care if you're dangerous. I don't care if you're a werewolf. Look at you, you're so gentle and tamed. You're safer than Sirius is. Remus Lupin, you're not too poor, too old, and too dangerous. You are too kind, too gentle, and too selfless, that's what you are."

Remus closed his eyes momentarily. "_Oh Nymphadora. Please don't…_"

"Remus, I don't want to get married to Rosier. I want to be with you, but you're pushing me away and in my confusion I end up making mistakes that I can't go back on. I may seem selfish for saying this, I know. But I just want you to say the words to me. Secretly, I wish that you'd just tell me you love me and don't want me to get married. That's a secret I've hidden from everyone else."

"_Nymphadora I do love you but you deserve so much better than me…_"

"Do you know what I was thinking about before I came down here? I was thinking about how we used to dance together. Even when I was a kid, you'd pick me up, let me stand on your shoes and dance with me. Then as I got older, you ended up being my first dance and my last dance. Remember that night you found me by a river near Hogsmeade during the graduation dance? You danced with me, and I've never danced with anyone else since then. I was thinking about that. I was thinking about how I want to dance with you for the rest of my life."

She smiled wanly and relaxed into his fur, closing her eyes for a bit. Tonks' hand continued to pet him, rubbing his head gently as she breathed. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest under her and she felt warm with him. His soft breath that grazed her face made her smile and Tonks could feel her hair growing brighter and more vibrant whenever she was with him. Remus Lupin was all she needed and she wished he'd just see it that way instead of pushing her away. Tonks opened her eyes again and looked up at the moon through the small basement window. She remembered that she'd have to go to that party tomorrow, and at the end of the party the engagement between her and Evan Rosier would become a public affair.

"_I have to call off the engagement,_" she thought to herself.

Tonks suddenly laughed a little as she began allowing her thoughts to flow again. Following Sirius and Alexis' idea of not thinking was soothing and easy on her mind for that short while. She turned and faced Remus with a small and soft smile, but a very Tonks-like smile. She petted him again and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on the side of his head. Remus' eyes quirked up again and Tonks could've swore she could feel his heart beating faster.

"I guess I'm lucky you won't remember any of this when you wake up," she smiled. "It'd be pretty embarrassing after what I've told you. And no doubt you'd protest me being this close to you," she smiled softly, nuzzling her head against his.

"_Even if I'm not on wolfsbane, I'll remember Nymphadora. I could never forget anything you've done for me. I could never forget anything about you,_" Remus thought and sighed inwardly to himself. For once in his life, he wished he could be the wolf by her side forever.

"Remus I was uncertain before, but after so much time, I'm pretty sure about my feelings now," Tonks began. "_I am going to call off that engagement and nobody can do anything to stop me even if they are a rich, pureblood family. I'm an Auror and related to the Black family. I'm not backing down._" Tonks thought to herself as she smiled and spoke again. "After knowing you so well, I'm sure that I love you, Remus."

"_Nymphadora…I love you too…but I'm not worthy…_"

_I'd rather protect you,  
><em>_Although I don't know if it will make it better  
><em>_I stood there with no words, hiding my pitiful heart  
><em>_As a friend, to remain as friends,  
><em>_I had to push the confessions down my throat  
><em>_But now I'll confess to you, I love you…_


	6. Goodbye, My Almost Lover

**Author's Note:**

I'm sorry for the irregular updates. School is driving me Bonkers! I can hardly find time to update what with homework and a job now, even if I actually have ideas to write! Oh it's frustrating. Sorry I'm rambling, I do hope you enjoy, and I'm trying hard in my promise to not leave you hanging for a whole month with no updates. And I haven't given up on any of my stories so don't worry ^_^ Thank you for reading and reviewing.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 06 – Goodbye, My Almost Lover<strong>

_Goodbye, my almost lover  
><em>_Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
><em>_I'm trying not to think about you  
><em>_Can't you just let me be?  
><em>_So long, my luckless romance  
><em>_My back is turned on you  
><em>_Should've known you'd bring me heartache  
><em>_Almost lovers always do_

Early morning light filtered through the small window that sat alone in the basement, casting a soft, faintly golden glow over the small, stone room. The illuminating orb had stopped glowing and floated darkly in the center of the room, allowing the faint sunlight to bounce off of it. Lying on the ground under a thin but comforting blanket was Remus Lupin, battered and bruised, in human form after a transformation.

His eyes slowly opened, easily adjusting to the soft sunlight that caressed his cheeks. Remus felt weird. He wasn't as tired and damaged as he'd expected to be after all other full moons. He didn't even have that many wounds on his body, just a few small scratches from messing around with Sirius' animagus form and aching limbs from the change. He sat up slowly, feeling almost re-energized, as if he'd just woken up from a peaceful night of sleep.

The stone basement was empty, no one but himself. Remus could see that the bed wasn't made, the same way it had been left last night. A soft, fleecy blanket covered him and beside him sat a thin novel, hardback, lying faced up and open. He looked around for Tonks, Nymphadora Tonks, the wonderful woman who had made last night's transformation so much easier. She wasn't in the room. Remus got up and wrapped the blanket around himself, walking towards the stairs. He found a set of clean clothes there, his usual shabby trousers, a jumper, and a light blue cardigan. Quickly he got dressed and headed up the stairs, his limbs aching and complaining, but otherwise he was fine, unscathed by the moon.

"Up so early Moony?" Sirius greeted him, walking past him with a mouthful of eggs.

"What time is it Padfoot?" Remus replied, following his friend into the kitchen.

"A little bit past nine," Sirius replied, plopping down on a wooden stool as he began poking at the tray of breakfast either Alexis or Nymphadora had prepared. "Tonks made you breakfast," he added and scoffed. "Yep she made it. Took her five tries and went through two of Lexi's frying pans but she got the food just right," he smirked, handing Remus the extravagant plate full of bacon, eggs, and hot breakfast porridge.

"Nymphadora made this?" Remus asked, unsure of whether to believe he was that lucky or not. His mind craved the food and slowly he began eating it, feeling his stomach warm up.

"Yeah, like I said, five tries and two pans but she made it."

"Where is Nymphadora…and Alexis too?" Remus questioned, eating his porridge.

"At the party," Sirius replied casually, shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth. "The formal morning gathering at Rosier Mansion," he explained. "They left a few hours ago. Lexi reckons the party should be over by eleven or so."

Remus nodded as he hungrily finished the breakfast and continued to the warm cup of tea he felt had been prepared by Nymphadora as well. He drank it slowly, his eyes distant as he seemed to be contemplating something. He was thinking about last night, how Nymphadora had so easily made his transformation bearable by staying at his side, in his arms, and reading with him. He selfishly wanted her to be there again next month, but Remus was afraid. She wasn't even supposed to be down there last night. And he remembered she'd spoken to him, thinking that he wouldn't remember. All because Sirius had said so.

"Why did you lie to Dora that I don't remember anything during transformation?"

Sirius looked up from behind his plate full of food and smirked. "It wasn't my idea alone. Lexi took part in it too. Now at least you know exactly what Tonks wants and what she's thinking, unrestrained. What did she say Moony?"

"Nothing," Remus lied.

"What'd she say Moony?" Sirius probed. "She must have said something."

Remus sighed as he set his cup of tea down. "Nymphadora said she loves me, and she wants me to say the words to stop her from getting married to Rosier," he replied in a low voice.

"Are you going to say the words?" Sirius asked. His mind wishing that Remus and Tonks would just get together and snog each other senselessly already before he died waiting.

"I can't Padfoot. It'd be too selfish of me. She's engaged. They're going to make that announcement public today at the party. I can't stop her."

Sirius suddenly pointed to the small, elegant black and white wall clock. "Lexi said the party should end at eleven and knowing these types of families, they wouldn't announce it until the very end. You've still got time to stop that engagement."

Remus shook his head. "It's too late. She already agreed and is already at that party. If I suddenly ran in there and told Nymphadora that I don't want her to get married to Rosier, it'd be wrong of me, it'd be too reckless of me, and it'd be too selfish of me."

"After seeing you again, I keep wondering where your inner Marauder disappeared to Remus," Sirius sighed. "Who cares if this is reckless? This is for your own happiness. Besides, we're all supporting you. Sometimes, you have to be a little selfish before you can seek to make everyone around you happy, Remus my old friend."

He shook his head and looked down at his tea. Remus wanted Tonks, he wanted to be able to love her, and he wanted to be with her. But he was so afraid of hurting her, causing her pain and suffering. He didn't know what to do. He loved her, but he's afraid to hurt her. And then he remembered. Remus finally realized that Tonks said she loved him as well…

"It's alright to be a little selfish sometimes," Sirius spoke again. "Tonks loves you."

Remus nodded sadly and let out a breath. "I know," he replied in a low voice as he pushed himself up on his aching limbs and cleared the dishes. "She shouldn't. She deserves so much better than me," he spoke softly, sadly.

"But she wants you," Sirius sighed. "You and her are almost lovers. Why can't you just push a little bit harder and _be_ lovers?" he questioned.

Remus turned towards the backdoor with a sad look on his face, shrugging at his friend. "Like you said, we're _almost_ lovers. It should end there. Nymphadora is engaged."

"Do you honestly want to just be almost lovers with her or do you want more?"

He opened the door and began taking slow steps outside. His limbs were crying, screaming for a rest but Remus didn't want to remain in the house with Sirius, knowing his friend wouldn't rest until Remus and Tonks were together. "No one cares what I want, Sirius."

"_I care_," Sirius thought as he huffed and shook his head. "Where are you going now Moony? That's the backyard. If you're not going to stop my cousin from making her engagement announcement, then at least get back into your bed and rest up before you collapse."

"I'm going for a little walk," Remus replied. He simply didn't want to be in the house where looking around in every direction he turned, he'd be reminded of Tonks. "_If she'd gone that far, it means there's nothing left that I can do to stop her. Nymphadora has always been unstoppable once she makes a decision_," Remus thought to himself, rubbing his face and sighing as he leaned against a stone bench for a moment, resting his limbs.

Alexis' backyard was vast, endless almost as there were no boundaries between the large landing and the mountain skyline in the far distant. Remus' eyes took in the marvelous gaze, realizing that he must be standing somewhere really high up to feel so close to touching the skyline. The house's backyard was decorated with bushes of roses and patches of flowers. Stone benches and rocks were cleverly laid to shape a beautiful landscape. Surrounding it were forests of trees and in the far distant, the beautiful mountains could be seen where the sun would rise every morning. Remus could see a long river snaking from somewhere in the woods to the mountain and felt like he wanted to venture there. He needed something to keep his mind occupied while Tonks was away because he feared he'd do something reckless if his mind was thinking of her. Remus sighed softly as he continued walking. He was taking slow, careful steps less his aching, tired limbs gave out on him.

* * *

><p>Though the mansion itself was dark and threatening looking, the backyard garden party was luckily a shade lighter. It was mainly grey, but that was the lightest pureblood Slytherin families tend to go. Tonks marveled at the many snake, green and black decorations that were still present in the midst of the outdoor formal gathering. Though the sun was up high and shining, though the image seemed bright and sociable, there was still a hidden, underlying drear that she could feel, somewhere in the presence of the house.<p>

Standing beside a large bush of bluebell flowers, Tonks smiled brightly along with her cousin, in her pale pink strapless dress and equally matching hair. She laughed as Alexis attempted to charm her dress so that Lexi's black and white halter top wouldn't have an unwanted wardrobe malfunction. Tonks had been trying to find time alone with Evan all morning, and normally it would be easy, but when she actually wanted time alone with him, it seemed so hard to come by. After a while, she decided she needed a break from all the faux.

"You've finally decided then?" Alexis asked, tucking her wand away and smiling.

Tonks nodded firmly. "Yep. Now I just need to find Evan alone," Tonks replied.

"What made you do it though? And why did you wait until now?"

"Because I was doubtful before. Remus always said that my feelings for him are fleeting, temporary. He deemed it as a silly crush, an infatuation, and for a time, I truly did believe that. So I was afraid that if I do this, I'd end up regretting it," she spoke softly, sounding like she was speaking her soul to her cousin. "But after I spent the full moon with Remus, even in his wolf form, his supposedly most dangerous form, I still feel the same. Then I was certain, I love him. I love him Alexis, and I don't want to be away from him or do anything to hurt him."

Alexis smiled and patted her cousin's shoulder. "Before long, I'm going to have to nag at you to stop talking about your love for Moony," she smirked her signature Black smirk.

Tonks looked at the smirk for a moment and shook her head. "And besides, I'll never get used to the aristocratic hauteur of these people," she sighed, looking around. "I got used to yours and Padfoot's because you're my family, but these people…" she sighed and shook her head.

"I'm just glad to have my clumsy, reckless, cousin back entirely, not just a shell."

"I did some heavy thinking last night and I realized that I should just listen to you and Padfoot and follow my heart instead of what I felt was right. I think that I've dragged this mistake out long enough," she nodded and looked around. "Though I don't know if Remus still want to take a step forward with me or not, but as long as I still have him in my life, I'm perfectly happy," she smiled. "We were almost lovers."

"You're gonna _be_ lovers," Lexi scoffed. "I just have a feeling," she winked. "And when you are, I'll have the manners not to say _I told you so_," she smirked, swishing around the wine in her glass for a moment, wondering why her smile felt plastered on her face.

Tonks smiled and placed a hand over her belly, looking down at it a bit, seeming much older, much more mature suddenly. "It's too bad the baby won't be raised by its biological father. I'm planning on keeping this child entirely. I feel that it's right," she sighed.

Alexis nodded, entirely supportive while she took another drink and emptied her glass.

"Do you think it's selfish of me to do so?"

The black and blonde haired girl shrugged. "Do you think Evan will be a good father?"

"I truly don't know. Whenever we talk, he seemed so keen on the child being a metamorphmagus like me. I feel like he only wants it because of that and I feel like he plans on using our abilities for his own benefits."

"Then do whatever you feel is right or better yet do whatever you want to do. Like I said, don't think, thinking is dangerous. Just follow your heart."

"Thanks," she smiled and studied her cousin.

"Though I'm afraid I've just realized a minor detail we all have overlooked."

"What's that?" Tonks asked, raising a confused eyebrow.

"Your parents," Lexi replied sternly. "They're out of the country on vacation right now. But when they get back, I'm sure your mother would like to know why all of a sudden her daughter went from engaged to runaway fiancée."

Tonks slapped her forehead. "Bloody hell," she cursed under her breath. "I am so dead."

"L'enfer n'a pas de furie, comme Andromeda Black." Alexis smirked and rolled her eyes at her cousin's confused gaze and proceeded to translate her phrase. "Hell hath no fury like Andromeda Black. You wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a Black family outrage."

"Oh trust me, I know," Tonks groaned. "And just wait, I'll have to break the news to her about Padfoot as well," she sighed.

"Take it one step at a time cuz, I'll help you as best I can," Alexis smirked.

"Lexi, thank you. You and maybe Padfoot are about the only one who can put up with me and not end up screaming on the top of your lungs at me."

"I'm just fulfilling my duties as a cousin," Lexi smirked. As a Black, she wasn't used to people thanking her, and so wasn't used to the proper welcoming reply. Instead she just smirked and hoped her cousin understood and skipped the formalities, which seemed to be what was happening. "Find Rosier," she told Tonks. "I need another glass of wine," she laughed softly.

* * *

><p>Alexis wandered over to the drinks table with no other purpose but to pick up yet another glass of rather fine firewhiskey. Alexis looked around, feeling sick being surrounded by witches and wizards who all were obsessed with blood purity. She rolled her eyes and took what must have been her fifth drink that morning, about to down the glass in one take. A large hand suddenly held her arm back, stopping her just as the rim of the glass touched her full red lips.<p>

"Don't plan on getting drunk so early in the morning do you?" a cool yet soothing voice asked her and Alexis immediately recognized who the owner was. She turned to look at the smirk of Deacon Stronghold as he attempted to imitate the other aristocratic smirks around them.

Alexis shook her head and set the drink down, smirking at him. Her smirk held more of the aristocratic hauteur that he'd failed to imitate, but hers had something else the others lacked as well, compassion. "Always the nagging voice of reason, aren't you Deac?" she replied.

He suddenly broke into a soft and gentle smile. "Alright, enough of this chilling act."

"You started it," she replied softly. Images of being in his arms flashed within her mind as she suddenly remembered the last time they spoke, when he woke her up after another nap in the park a few days ago. "I didn't expect to see you here though."

"My parents are friends with Rosier's parents," he shrugged. "Don't worry. They don't let the idea of blood purity go to their heads though."

She smiled at him, studying him openly, admiring how good he looked in sleek black and velvet red dress robes, his dark brown hair messy but neat at the same time. "Thankfully."

"I heard about your cousin," he suddenly spoke. "During a mission, Eve did a check up on Tonks after she fell and found out that she's pregnant."

Alexis nodded and chatted conversationally with him. "It's pretty troublesome."

"Her pregnancy is the reason why you returned from France so suddenly, wasn't it?"

She nodded again. "That and this engagement. It's kind of cutting into my sleep."

"Alexis Black you are too compassionate for your own good," he smirked, subconsciously leaning closer to her. "I hope everything works out."

"Oh it is," she smirked. "My clumsy cousin Nymphadora has finally made a decision, and thankfully once she decides on something, she stubbornly sticks with it until the end."

"I thought Tonks didn't like people calling her Nymphadora."

"Ce qu'elle ne sait pas ne pas la blesser."

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Deacon smiled, translating her French. "You're still the very same woman I remembered. You haven't changed a bit," he smiled, studying her intently with warm and ardent dusty emerald eyes that her pulling her into him unknowingly.

"And what did you remember about me?" she asked flirtatiously, a side of her rarely seen to Tonks and family but often seen to everyone else. She suddenly had that Black attraction, sharp features, an entrancing voice, and an allure that was hard to turn from.

Deacon smiled and shifted a bit closer to her, an empty glass of wine still in his hand as the rim of the glass slightly touched her finger. "You're compassionate, witty, and clever. You're a realistic dreamer, able to understand the truths of reality but still willing to dream. You're secretive and compelling, and you're stubborn and strong when you want to be," he smirked, his face inches from her. "What do you remember about me?"

She placed a seductive finger on his open collar and proceeded to trail her cool, slender finger against his skin smoothly. "You're protective and strong, you're stubborn but wise and smart. You have this arrogant feel to you, but you're truly a total pushover. One fact I remember very clearly is that you're a hopeless romantic…" she paused, her angelic face closing in on his. "And though you will never admit to it, you secretly like it when I'm drunk and angry on rainy nights," she whispered seductively into his ear.

Deacon looked down and smirked, his hand taking hers as he pulled her closer to him. He could feel her soft breath on his face and he could sense her alluring scent that smelled like a mix of lavender and some other sweetness that he couldn't identify, but the aroma was distinctly hers. As they drew closer, they could feel each others' lips drawing together, hungry for a kiss from a long time lover. But suddenly, Alexis suddenly stopped halfway and pulled back.

"No," she spoke firmly. "This was exactly what ruined us last time, no."

_Goodbye, my almost lover  
><em>_Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
><em>_I'm trying not to think about you  
><em>_Can't you just let me be?_

He didn't get mad at her like he used to whenever she would suddenly lure him in and then stopped. That time, after one year apart, he finally understood what went wrong with their relationship and agreed with her. Deacon nodded and awkwardly let go of her hand, placing his empty glass on the table.

"I don't want us to be ruined. Perhaps, we should start over. I still want to see you and…"

"Skip the formalities," she smirked. "We're good friends," she smiled.

"Then perhaps a dance with a friend wouldn't be too much to ask for?"

She nodded. "But perhaps we should dance with a few others first, for safety measures."

He smirked and then nodded again. "After a year, I find myself agreeing with you more."

Alexis smirked and began moving away from him, but slowly. Her seductive aura had dropped but her allure and spell on him didn't budge one bit. He knew he was still under her spell, and it seemed permanent as his heart jumped seeing the sweet smile on her face that he missed so much and the ardent look in her eyes. "Save the last dance for me," she winked.

* * *

><p>That morning Remus had wandered too far away from the house to finally realize that he was utterly lost, following a river to a horizon with no end. He'd been walking along the river for what felt like an hour, a very long, eternity like hour as he reflected on the many things that raided his mind. His attempt to distract his yearning mind from a certain pink haired Auror named Nymphadora Tonks had failed. He ended up thinking about her the entire time, wondering if she was truly happy, if at the moment while he was fighting with his aching limbs to allow him to stay standing just a little bit longer, whether she was dancing happily with her new beau, her fiancé. Remus stopped walking and shoved his hands into the pockets of his shabby cardigan, looking up at the faint glow of the bright sun that hung high in the sky.<p>

As Remus looked at the sun, its brightness and brilliance suddenly reminded him of her again. It wasn't just the house that reminded Remus of her, it was everything in his world. Tonks was always so bright and brilliant, just like the sun. He sighed, realizing that he had effectively darkened his own sun by telling her that he can't love her because of his three main excuses. Remus sighed again, inwardly nodding to himself. Tonks and everyone else had all been right. They were simply _excuses_. They were excuses he wished he could live without, but every second of every day they'd haunt his mind and warn him to stay back less he did something he regret.

"_Regret, now that's an ironic word,_" Remus thought to himself, laughing at himself for how big of a fool he was being. He was like a jester dancing around with no real purpose but one that he was denying. Remus shook his head, he was really a fool.

His three excuses were supposed to prevent him from doing anything he'd regret, but by some fateful turn in events, he ended up having regrets because of those excuses. He regretted not being there for Tonks, no, Nymphadora. He regretted not being able to hold her when she needed him, to kiss her when she asked. And he regretted pushing her away for he was hurting himself and possibly her too by doing so. Remus had so many regrets.

Remus glanced up at the sun again, shielding his eyes a bit while his legs were shaking, struggling to remain standing. He looked at the brilliant sun, not directly of course. In his mind, Nymphadora Tonks was the brilliant, shining sun, and he, Remus Lupin, was the moon. They could never be together, that was just the way it was made to be.

_"Remus, I don't want to get married to Rosier. I want to be with you, but you're pushing me away and in my confusion I end up making mistakes that I can't go back on. I may seem selfish for saying this, I know. But I just want you to say the words to me. Secretly, I wish that you'd just tell me you love me and don't want me to get married. That's a secret I've hidden from everyone else."_

_"_Nymphadora I do love you but you deserve so much better than me…_"_

_"Do you know what I was thinking about before I came down here? I was thinking about how we used to dance together. Even when I was a kid, you'd pick me up, let me stand on your shoes and dance with me. Then as I got older, you ended up being my first dance and my last dance. Remember that night you found me by a river near Hogsmeade during the graduation dance? You danced with me, and I've never danced with anyone else since then. I was thinking about that. I was thinking about how I want to dance with you for the rest of my life."_

_"Remus I was uncertain before, but after so much time, I'm pretty sure about my feelings now," Tonks began. "After knowing you so well, I'm sure that I love you, Remus."_

_"_Nymphadora…I love you too…but I'm not worthy…_"_

Remus sighed and rubbed his face once, still gazing ardently at the sun. "Nymphadora, I love you," he mumbled to himself, wishing she could hear those words.

He stood with his hands in his pockets for another long while, regretting, wishing, and thinking. Then suddenly the three words she said to him began revolving in his mind and he could suddenly hear her voice as if she was right beside him. He could hear her say _I love you_, and he could feel her touch on him. They were all memories of course, he knew, because Nymphadora wasn't beside him. But those memories were so vivid that Remus' heart was beating and he suddenly felt flustered and a desire to see her, to hold her. His desire was growing stronger and stronger as each second passed by.

Each second he stood there was going to waste as he tried to picture her at the party in Rosier Mansion. "_Without the sun there is no moon,_" he thought to himself, looking up at the sun. "_Day and night coexist, that's the way it was made to be. Without Nymphadora I can't be myself…_" Remus closed his eyes tightly and allowed himself to stop thinking for a moment. He took a deep breath and suddenly, a few small words floated out of his mouth as he began drawing his wand.

"I don't want to be almost lovers anymore," Remus sighed as he used his wand to apparate. He was too tired to run, and he was after all a wizard. The river should be far enough away from Alexis' home for her wards to be out of reach. He should be able to apparate, and after a _pop_, he knew he had.

Remus apparated to a small muggle street that he knew was abandoned, sitting somewhere near the Leaky Cauldron. He stepped out of the alley he'd landed himself in, his joints grunting and cracking once, causing him to cringe. Quickly Remus pushed that thought to the back of his mind and continued on taking slow steps out to the sidewalk. He looked around quickly to make sure there were no muggles around. Every second he spent looking was every second wasted. He sighed when there were no muggles around and raised his wand forward in a motion that every witch and wizard knew was to flag down the infamous bumpy ride of the Knight Bus. Within seconds, a large and _violently_ violet, triple-decker bus.

The Knight Bus was large and grand. Remus was immediately greeted by Stan Shunpike, its conductor. He handed the lanky young man the fee for the bus and quickly got himself inside, sitting down on seats that don't seem to be properly bolted down. Remus gripped the seat tightly, knowing that a ride on the Knight Bus after a full moon wasn't his cleverest ideas, but it will have to do as he doesn't know where Rosier Mansion is. He prepared himself for the very unsafe ride, ready to be tossed and turned like a ragged doll inside the bus.

"Where're ya headed?" Stan Shunpike asked, moving up to the front of the bus.

"Rosier Mansion," Remus replied in a slightly hoarse voice.

Stan smirked, bearing crooked, yellowing and ugly teeth with his cheeky grin as he knocked on the window to notify the driver, Ernie, probably the most terrible driver in history. Remus knew that the conductor, Stan Shunpike, must really enjoy watching all the passengers' experiences by the grin he had on his face.

He could feel the bus yanking and beginning to move. Remus swallowed hard. A ride on the Knight Bus in his state definitely wasn't one of his brightest ideas, but he was already on and to stop Tonks' engagement from going public, he'd charge in there during the full moon if he had to. He took a sharp breath and the bus yanked hard, jumping and then blasting to full speed.

* * *

><p>It took her so long to finally have a moment alone with him. Tonks regretted having to take so long to finally come to a decision, but she knew it was one she had to make. She knew she could possibly be hurting Evan, because as much of an arse as he is, he is still human and he too can feel pain. She swallowed hard, not wanting to do this, but her desire to shape out her life and live happily out-ruled any doubts she had in her mind. Tonks stepped forward and placed a hand on Evan's arm, pulling him back as he was about to head somewhere.<p>

"Evan we need to talk," she spoke.

He smirked at her and leaned back to place a kiss on her lips, unwanted. She was about to push him away but he moved away before she could resist. "Just a minute," he smiled.

"You're not making the announcement yet are you?" she asked him, panicking.

He shook his head. "Not yet Nymphadora dear."

"Don't call me Nymphadora," she snapped.

Evan only smirked at her, his aristocratic hauteur too much for her to bear. At least Alexis and Sirius' had some sort of compassion and warmth hidden beneath them, but Evan's was just pure ice and taunt.

"I have to tell them that there will be an announcement after the last dance," he replied.

"The last dance is after this song," Tonks spoke. It was not a question as she simply paused for a moment, listening to the soft but pleasant song that they had playing across the crowd. She took that short moment to notice that many people were dancing, chatting happily, unaware of the announcement. To them, this was just another one of those formal gatherings that rich pureblood families often threw because they have absolutely nothing better to do with their money besides throwing flamboyant parties to compete in terms of status and reputation.

Evan nodded. "Would you like to pick a song? Even if it's a muggle song, I don't mind."

Tonks took a moment to catch her breath. Evan wasn't as hateful and irritating as everyone thought he was, but she still wasn't going back on her decision. "_I'm sorry Evan,_" Tonks thought to herself before she told him the song. "Save the Last Dance for Me."

"I know that song, alright then, whatever you want," he sighed and shook his head as he made his way onto the stage.

She watched him take each step slowly. Tonks felt awfully guilty for coming so far. She knew that even people like him, they too felt pain, and she feared that what she was about to do would break his heart. But she didn't love him and it would only hurt her and Evan and even Remus even more if she dragged it out any longer. Tonks swallowed hard and waited until he finished. She knew that once he finished and stepped down again, she'd give him back the engagement ring and it would all be over. They were almost lovers. She would have chosen him too, if someone else hadn't shown up in her life and shown her that in love it's ok to trust, to get hurt, just as long as you're together in the end.

_I cannot go to the ocean  
><em>_I cannot drive the streets at night  
><em>_I cannot wake up in the morning  
><em>_Without you on my mind  
><em>_So you're gone and I'm haunted  
><em>_And I bet you are just fine  
><em>_Did I make it that easy,  
><em>_To walk right in and out of my life?  
><em>_Goodbye my almost lover  
><em>_Goodbye my hopeless dream  
><em>_I'm trying not to think about you  
><em>_Can't you just let me be?  
><em>_So long my luckless romance  
><em>_My back is turned on you  
><em>_Should've known you'd bring me heartache  
><em>_Almost lovers always do…_


	7. Save the Last Dance for Me

**Author's Note:**

I hope you enjoy this chapter ^_^ Sorry for the long wait, but I'll try to update a bit sooner for my stories. School is crazy but it's getting better. Please leave a review, thank you so much!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 07 – Save the Last Dance for Me<strong>

The large, purple, triple-decker bus came to an abrupt stop right in front of Rosier Mansion, its top two levels lurching forward a bit after stopping suddenly while going at top speed. Remus Lupin stepped off the bus slowly, his complexion a little green and he looked like he was ill, his hand gripping his stomach that had turned to knots after a bus ride in the infamously terribly driven Knight Bus. When he took a few steps away from it, the bus launched back into full speed again and disappeared down the street.

Rosier Mansion was a tall, dark, looming mansion that if not for the shining sun and music playing in the backyard would be a haunted mansion. Remus took one sharp breath before walking forward again, his limbs aching even more, crying for a rest, a very long rest. His stomach was in knots and he felt thoroughly sick. He walked down towards the stone path that led to the party, the white invitation in his hand. Then suddenly he was halted by a tall, threatening guard dressed in all black robes. Remus took an inward glance at himself and realized that a shabby cardigan and trousers aren't fit for the formal gathering.

"Invitation?" the guard question in a rough, scratchy voice that reminded Remus of someone he once knew, an Auror from the last Order of the Phoenix.

"Here," Remus replied wanly, handing the guard the crumpled white invitation.

The wizard eyed it skeptically. "Are you sure this is a real invitation?"

Remus was about to reply when he suddenly caught a glimpse of black and blonde hair heading his way. Alexis Black marched up to the guard, mumbling something in French at first but then rewound and continued to sneer at the guard, putting up her best aristocratic hauteur.

"This man happens to be my friend, Remus Lupin, and he is invited to this party. If you had anything close to a brain you would've known to at least run a wand over the invitation to check first before jumping to conclusions," she snapped.

Remus smiled a little, reminded by Alexis of Nymphadora Tonks' fury. She wasn't Nymphadora however, she was different, but Remus thanked her as a friend for defending him.

"I'm sorry Miss Black," the guard nodded and bowed his head in shame. Obviously the Black family name was still strong standing in the Wizarding community even if most of its members have gone a little wobbly. "You may pass Mr. Lupin."

"Remus, come on," Alexis sighed, running a slender hand through the side swept bangs of her hair. "I didn't expect you to show up. It's right after the moon."

"I didn't expect to go either," he replied truthfully. "But something overcame me."

"I'm glad then," she smirked and then turned around to study him. "The last dance is after this one," she told him. "You should go dance with Tonks."

"I was just looking to speak with her. I'm not sure I can dance with this attire."

Alexis suddenly took out her wand, a long black wand looking elegant and expensive as she waved it over him in a semi-complicated motion. Suddenly, Remus' very casual and very shabby attire changed entirely. His shabby jumper and cardigan turned into the most expensive and nice fitting black dress robes, a vivid red tie accompanying the black. His shabby and worn trousers turned to black dress robe trousers and his old shoes turned black and shiny. Remus looked down at himself, amazed at the magic even though he should be used to it by now.

"H…how did you…?" Remus began, smiling and amazed.

Alexis suddenly laughed reservedly while she shook her head at him and tucked her wand away. "I'm a girl Remus. These kinds of spells are second nature to me."

"Oh, right," he replied and smiled. "Thank you so much Alexis."

"My cousin's the only woman in this crowd with hair that matches the pale pink shade of her dress. I think that's all the help you'll need in finding her," she smiled and winked. "Holler if you need any help but I'm sure you won't," she smiled and nodded her head once before gracefully walking away, her feet moving along with the music as she made her way back into the thick, sociable crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen may I have your attention please," Evan Rosier's smooth and proud voice rang over the crowd as silence suddenly followed. Alexis turned around and looked up at the cool, haughty face of Rosier, his dirty blonde hair combed neatly as he shot them all with a smile of his that would've melted the hearts of many girls there, if they didn't know him for the heartless man he is. "This is going to be the last dance for the morning and after the last song I'm going to make a very special announcement so stick around until then," he spoke quickly before waving and disappearing off the stage.

As a part from her past experiences, she knew that the last dance is always the longest song. They'd play the song over at least twice before they consider the dance over. She sighed and made her way into the crowd, holding no purpose at all as she simply tried to walk through them. The soft music started playing. It was a song she recognized. It was a muggle song, a song she and Tonks often listened to when they wanted to relax.

"May I have this dance?" Deacon Stronghold's brooding but warm voice asked her.

Alexis turned around and was met by his alluring dusty emerald eyes. She smiled, she didn't smirk, she smiled genuinely as she nodded and placed her hand in his waiting one. Deacon took her and smoothly pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly but easily as they began swaying slowly with the music.

"Save the last dance for me," Deacon spoke, thinking about the irony of the song.

She smiled again, bearing a beautiful cheeky grin at her. "I'm impressed you found me so soon. You know this last dance is going to be the longest and you had a lot of time right?"

"Yes but I want to be able to dance with you as long as I can," he smiled and replied.

While the song continued to play in the background, Alexis could see from behind Deacon that Tonks had just confronted Evan. She watched them and motioned Deacon to stay still for a moment. It was an unspoken understanding she and Deacon had and it surprised her that they still had such a connection. Alexis ignored that as she watched Tonks. Her cousin and Rosier were far away and she couldn't see them properly through the dancing lovers on the floor and she couldn't hear them through the voices of many people around them, but she could still catch glimpses of their faces. Tonks must have said something to Evan, and she must have given something back to him as Evan was looking at his hand, an expression of shock and anger mixed in his face. Alexis noticed the sad and apologetic look Tonks had on and knew it probably wasn't easy for Tonks to do something like that either, even though she didn't love him.

A moment later, Alexis couldn't see them anymore. She couldn't see Tonks anymore, even though she tried looking for the bright pink hair. She did see Evan however, and it looked like he'd spotted her too. She locked eyes with him for a moment, just a short moment. Evan had a mixed look in his eyes, his arrogant stare still present, but there was anger and disappointment as well, and disbelief too. Alexis couldn't help but look at him curiously as he suddenly marched through the crowd. He looked like he was coming over to her.

"What's wrong?" Deacon asked, looking down and unknowingly closing the distance between them so that their chests were touching. "Who were you looking at?" he asked.

Alexis shook her head and was about to speak when Evan suddenly placed a firm hand on Deacon's shoulder and turned him around. "Stronghold," Evan called out in a low voice.

"Rosier," Deacon smiled sociably as he turned around, his arm still protectively around Alexis' waist. "Great party you have here."

"Looking really cozy aren't you?" Rosier asked, almost sneering at them as his eyes turned to the hand Deacon had around Alexis' waist. Deacon felt the need to smirk and tighten his hold around Alexis. Evan then turned to Alexis. "You're happy now aren't you?" he asked her, almost spitting. "You're probably the driving force behind this, ruining everything. Your shape-shifting freak of a cousin has finally done it," he laughed bitterly. "She's finally embarrassed me enough and no doubt you're happy about this."

"Look Rosier," Alexis snarled at him, pulling away from Deacon's hold as she closed up on Evan Rosier, her eyes icy and threatening. "This is completely her decision and no one else's. I don't think it's such a smart idea to immediately go talking bad about someone right after they did something to disappoint you. I thought you grew up from your Hogwarts days," she smirked offensively at him, her smirk taunting him. "You broke her heart first before and this is your just desserts. Don't go and call my cousin a shape-shifting freak."

Evan spitted and laughed. "I don't want to hear it. You think this is funny don't you? Your half-blood freak of a cousin has embarrassed my entire family name. I should've just pushed her away like all the other women I've impregnated. My father was right, just because she was a metamorphmagus, she still wasn't worth the trouble, just like you lot."

Alexis knew why Evan was angry and acting recklessly, but it didn't mean she was going to take a step back for him. It just wasn't in her nature. "In fact I think this is very funny that your family name is tarnished because of you. And don't you dare call my cousin a half-blood freak. You're just pathetic. A girl walks away from you and you go talking trash about her."

Evan crossed his arms and moved closer to her, glaring at her. "Alright, I'm pathetic aren't I? I have strong support and influences in the Ministry. Just you wait. I'm going to make your half-blood, shape-shifting freak of a cousin's life a living hell."

"I dare you," she hissed, raising her wand up and pointing it at his throat. "Say it again."

Evan looked a little scared but he continued. "You're not going to hex me."

"What makes you think that? I'm a Black. Blacks are insane and fearless, remember?"

"Alright enough," Deacon sighed, pulling Alexis back from Evan as he forced her to put her wand away that was a lethal weapon in her hand when she is angry. "Hexing him isn't going to solve anything. And Rosier, I thought you'd at least be more mature with your relationship setbacks than this," he sighed, sounding like a mature voice of reason.

Evan pointed at Alexis and nodded, backing away. "Filthy scum," he growled, leaving.

"What's that Rosier? I can't hear you. Say it again and see where you'll end up," Alexis taunted, about to go after him if not for the strong arm that pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" he pulled back and pinned her to him to stop her from going anywhere. "You could get arrested if you hexed him. You're a lawyer you should know this."

"I hate men like him," Alexis grumbled, dropping her fight and allowing Deacon to hold her tight. "Tonks said he's not entirely a bad person but I beg to differ."

"Why do you hate Rosier so much anyways?"

"Because he was the driving force that broke us apart," she admitted softly. "If he didn't take you out with all those women and if he didn't introduce all his friends to me, we wouldn't have gotten caught up in that lifestyle and start fighting then breaking apart."

Deacon sighed and looked at her. She was still the very same girl he remembered that he'd fallen madly in love with. She was strong and independent, but she was still just a woman after all that wasn't afraid to admit that she sometimes needed a man to hold her tight. Deacon breathed her name as he pulled her into a tight embrace, dancing with her to the last song of that formal gathering, holding her tightly, missing her so much.

_You can dance, every dance with the guy who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight  
><em>_You can smile, every smile for the man who held your hand beneath pale moonlight  
><em>_But don't forget who's takin' you home and in whose arms you're gonna be  
><em>_So darlin' save the last dance for me  
><em>_Oh, I know that the music's fine like sparklin' wine, go and have your fun  
><em>_Laugh and sing but while we're apart don't give your heart to anyone  
><em>_And don't forget who's takin' you home and in whose arms you're gonna be  
><em>_So darlin' save the last dance for me  
><em>_Baby, don't you know I love you so? Can't you feel it when we touch?  
><em>_I will never, never let you go. I love you, oh, so much  
><em>_You can dance, go and carry on till the night is gone and it's time to go  
><em>_If he asks if you're all alone can he walk you home? You must tell him, "No"  
><em>_Cause don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arms you're gonna be  
><em>_Save the last dance for me  
><em>_So don't forget who's taking you home or in whose arms you're gonna be  
><em>_So, darling, save the last dance for me  
><em>_Won't you save the last dance for me? You make the promise that you save the last dance for me?  
><em>_Save the last dance, the very last dance for me_

Through the crowd of people, he thought it would've been easy to find a pink haired girl in a pink dress of the same shade. Remus was wrong. He'd been looking everywhere for her and though the song seemed not to end any time soon, he was still getting impatient and worried. He wanted to find her. He needed to find her. Remus Lupin was breathing hard, ignoring the aches and pains in his body as his eyes darted around, looking for a certain pink haired Auror he'd fallen in love with and was no longer afraid to admit so.

"Remus?" he heard her voice call to him, questioning him with surprise from behind.

He turned around quickly, breathing hard but happily as his soft blue eyes met the soulful dark eyes of Nymphadora Tonks. Remus smiled and turned around fully to face her, standing less than a foot away from her as he continued to catch his breath and smile.

"Nymphadora," he sighed.

His eyes were lost admiring the stunning, grown up beauty of the pretty woman in the pale pink strapless dress. She was beautiful. She was stunning, as lovely as he always saw her to be, and she seemed pleasantly surprised to see him.

Her eyes were lost admiring the chiseled and eloquent young man standing before her. Remus, though his face still looked tired, his attire was entirely different. His attire wasn't _him_, but it still suited him to a point that it could be _him_. He was bright and lively, looking stunning in his black dress robes with a single red tie, tying the entire outfit together.

"Remus what are you doing here? And it's right after a full moon. You must be so tired," she spoke all in one breath, worrying about him. "I'm sorry I left before you woke up this morning. Are you hurt anywhere? Are you aching?" she asked him, genuinely worried.

"I…I'm fine Nymphadora," he breathed, glad to see her.

Tonks smiled and relaxed a bit though she was still worried by how pale and frail Remus seemed. "What brought you here?" she asked softly.

"I was wondering…" Remus began slowly. "…if I may have this last dance?"

She smiled again, softer, more genuine, as she nodded slowly and took his hand. "Of course," she replied. "I saved the last dance, secretly hoping you'd show up."

"Thank you," Remus smiled kindly, pulling her into his embrace, just like they did before. He danced with her slowly, supporting her for whenever she fell and she supported him for whenever his aching joints gave out momentarily. He held tightly onto Tonks, dancing with her happily while searching for the right words to say to plea her to call off the engagement.

"Today's been a very long day," she sighed.

"Nymphadora, thank you for making me breakfast this morning."

She laughed softly, a pleasant tune to his ears. "It was good practice. After all, a woman has to at least know how to make eggs, even if it did take me three tries."

"Padfoot said it took you five tries," Remus spoke softly, still searching for words.

"Well Padfoot just likes to exaggerate," she smiled briskly.

They danced together for what felt like an eternity. Remus held Tonks tight, his mind still searching for the right words that he was afraid to say. Tonks held onto him and she could feel his hold on her was different from before, as if unrestrained, longing, and yearning. She couldn't help but smile, pushing a little deeper into him. They were so close she could feel his even breathing, the rise and fall of his chest, and play around with the soft light brown hair on the back of his head. Tonks didn't mind the silence between them, as long as the music was still playing to a rather ironic song while she was in Remus' arms.

"Nymphadora," Remus began in a smooth as velvet voice to her ears.

Tonks looked up. "Yeah Remus?"

"Please don't get married," he spoke slowly, each word clearly and truthfully.

Tonks' heart suddenly jumped and stopped once when he finished. She looked at him, unsure if she should grin, smile, or scream in joy. He spoke the words she'd been waiting for after so long. Her heart had to race afterwards to catch up on the many beats it had skipped. She subconsciously tightened her hold around him and she came closer to him, their faces inches apart. Looking into his eyes, soft blue eyes meeting dark brown eyes, she felt like she had the entire world in her arms, finally, after so long.

"Remus…it's too late…" she began, about to explain to him about her conversation she had earlier with Evan and his not so friendly remarks he shot at her.

"No it's not," Remus pleaded, cutting her off. Tonks decided to listen as he spoke because she knew that very rarely would she ever hear Remus Lupin speak his heart no matter how selfish he seemed. It was ok for him to be selfish once in a while when he'd been selfless all through his life. "It's never too late. Nymphadora, I am so sorry it took me this long to get past all the excuses and setbacks. I regret not telling you this earlier. But I don't want you to get married to Evan Rosier. Please don't. Nymphadora, I love you," he spoke clearly, emphasizing that last three charming words. "I've loved you for a while, a very long while. But I was so foolish to let you go. Please, take me back…" He paused and waited for her.

A soft smile danced across Nymphadora Tonks' lips as she tightened her arms around him a little bit more. Tonks could feel her hair getting even brighter, glowing almost at the sweet happiness and joyous sensation she had inside her body. At that moment, Tonks allowed her thinking to subside as she got herself lost in his eyes like she often did before. Except that time, she was unrestrained and she probed deeper and deeper into his soft and ardent gaze. She allowed herself to fall deeper and deeper into his loving and gentle eyes.

Without thinking and only following what her heart was beating to, Tonks leaned in, her lips closing in on Remus'. She placed her full red lips on his, but she didn't move anymore afterwards however. She was waiting for him. As if on cue, Remus' hand suddenly traveled from her waist up to her face. She could feel the gentle touch of his finger trailing up her side, to the side of her arm, her neck as he held her gently and then to her face as he held her as if afraid she would break. Remus held her fragile face with one hand while pulling her body closer to him with the other. He no longer felt pain and aches from his post moon symptoms. All he felt was the sweet, sweet sensation of being in love and being allowed to love.

As if on cue, he kissed her. He kissed her hard, hungrily, as if pushing all his emotions into that one kiss to prove to her that he felt for her just as much as she did for him. They kissed hungrily but lacking no honesty. They truly wanted each other and after a while, they realized that they had truly fallen in love with each other. It wasn't a silly fleeting crush. It wasn't a cold seduction. It wasn't a fake infatuation. It was love.

Eternity…that was the world they were in. After several eternities seemed to have passed them by Tonks hesitantly pulled back from his kiss her hand holding his face gently as she seized the chance to gasp for breath after their affectionate and longing kiss.

"Dora, please don't get married to him," Remus pleaded with soft eyes.

"Remus…I already called off the engagement," she smiled, holding back a soft laugh.

The expression on Remus' face slowly turned into a grin and a face of relief. "Y…you have?" he asked her, his voice airy and slightly hoarse.

Tonks nodded firmly. "Why do you think my left ring finger is suddenly bare?" she smiled and asked him, showing him her left hand which had no ring or jewelry on it.

Remus held her hand and looked into her eyes, smiling. He simply smiled, allowing his lips to dance right into a lopsided grin, a familiar, wolfish grin of his that she loved and rarely ever got to see because it was only present when he was happy.

"What made you though?" Tonks suddenly asked him. "What made you come here?"

"Our talk last night," Remus replied.

"You remembered?" she asked, a bit surprised. "But Padfoot said…"

"Padfoot was lying. I remember everything when I'm on wolfsbane. Even if I'm not, I still could never forget this vibrant pink hair," he smiled tucking back a strand of her signature bubblegum pink hair that had returned to its normal shade of vibrancy. "And I could never forget anything about you, full moon or not."

"Then you know that I feel guilty but I still plan on keeping this child even though I'm not getting married to Evan, right?" Tonks asked him, placing a hand on her slight bump.

Remus nodded and his hand suddenly shifted to set over hers, sitting overtop her slight bump that was present on her belly. "I don't care that you're pregnant. As long as I have you, I don't care about anything else. This child…a baby's innocent. Dora I know I'm not the biological father of your child, but I want to help you raise him or her."

Soft, happy tears were pricking the back of her eyes as she felt Remus' hand over hers. Though it wasn't how she expected it to be like, she was at least with Remus. Tonks wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her head into his chest as they continued to dance to the last chorus of the song.

"Oh Remus," she sighed, unsure of any word that could describe the way she felt.

"Nymphadora, I love you."

Tonks beamed and kissed him again briefly on the lips. "I love you too Remus."

They continued dancing until the song was finished. Remus held her tight in his arms, his expression straight but Tonks could see behind it and she was glad to know that he was shyly hiding a joyous, wolfish grin that was rarely seen. She smiled as they slowly pulled apart after the end of the song.

Looking around, Tonks couldn't find Evan anywhere and knew that some of the people were quite confused, wondering what the announcement had been that they'd missed. Tonks didn't care anymore. She was glad to finally be freed of one large worry on her mind. She smiled as Remus slipped her hand into his. They laced their fingers together and it marveled Tonks how well her fingers fit between Remus'. They fitted perfectly together.

Tonks sighed dramatically, letting loose all her tensions. "The only problem I have left yet to be taken care of is how I'm going to explain to my mother why suddenly her engaged daughter is single again," Tonks smiled.

Remus stepped in front of her, his body and face facing her. "Dora…I…you know…if you'd like or…um…" he spoke shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. "If you'll let me…I'll be your boyfriend…"

Tonks smiled and beamed again. She nodded vigorously, overjoyed. "Remus you're just speaking your heart out today," she smiled and hugged him.

"It's ok to be a little selfish sometimes right?"

"Right. Remus Lupin, for you, it's always ok to be a little selfish at times."

"Though I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you when Andromeda freaks out."

Tonks shook her head. "She won't mind. She never cared about your furry little problem before and she doesn't now and she won't in the future."

Remus smiled and slowly glanced behind him towards the exit to the party. "What do you say we make our way back home now?" he asked her gently.

Tonks nodded as Remus shifted to his rightful place at her side, his fingers intertwined with hers, fitting perfectly like the missing piece of a beautiful puzzle. "Alright. Before my new boyfriend collapses on me of post moon symptoms," Tonks smiled and laughed softly.

Remus allowed a genuine smile to settle on his lips as he looked at the exit.

"Together?"

"Together."

Their hands tightened around each others' as Remus and Tonks casually weaved through the crowd of guests that still remained chatting sociably after the last dance. They fitted each other, oddly, but perfectly. That was never the way Tonks had pictured her and Remus would get together, but at least they were together and she wasn't going to complain. Tonks smiled happily as she walked alongside Remus out of the crowd and back onto the stone path that led to the front of the house where she could apparate them both back to a place they could finally, openly call _home_.

_You can dance, every dance with the guy  
><em>_Who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight  
><em>_You can smile, every smile for the man  
><em>_Who held your hand beneath pale moonlight  
><em>_But don't forget who's takin' you home  
><em>_And in whose arms you're gonna be  
><em>_So darlin' save the last dance for me_

* * *

><p>I forgot where I read it from, but it was in a fan fiction and Remus and Tonks would always say "Together?" "Together." and I quite like that, so I decided to put it in here. If it's anyone's fan fiction, please tell me ^_^ Sorry I forgot which one it was out of the many I've read so I can't credit right.<p> 


	8. Those Who Do Not Care

**Author's Note:**

Well now that one plot point is out of the way, I realized I can't just skip to Tonks giving birth to the baby, so I'm going to develop a little, I hope you don't mind. I'm thinking about developing on Sirius' story in here as well. I hope it'll be ok. Thanks for reading and reviewing! ^_^

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 08 – <strong>**Those Who Do Not Care**

Sirius stumbled down the stairs quickly, shaking his head and grumbling something to himself. He seemed moody and a little put off. The raven haired man who had managed to replenish himself after staying with his close cousins for so long no longer looked hollow and empty. He was still lanky, but healthier, happier, and louder than before. He hopped off the last three steps to the white staircase of Alexis Black's modern house that sat somewhat in the middle of nowhere. He turned to see his other cousin in the living room, working. Sirius headed there, still grumbling something to himself and shaking his head.

"Padfoot what's the matter?" Alexis Black asked, not looking up from her half full parchment on the glass coffee table. Her long black and blonde hair was held up in a sloppy bun by her wand, her _Black_ looks more defined when her hair wasn't covering her sharp features.

"I'm being ignored," Sirius pouted, leaned back in the couch and crossed his arms.

Alexis smirked, still not looking up at him. "They finally got together and are at the honeymoon stage, just let them be."

"They're not married. I don't see why they should have the honeymoon stage."

The pixie like woman in tight black jeans and a loose white graphic tee shook her head and returned to her work. "Find something to do Padfoot."

Sirius shifted to the edge of his seat, about to speak when suddenly Lexi stopped him.

"Except annoying me," she cut in quickly.

He huffed and crossed his arms again. Sure he was happy that his self-righteous best friend was finally living with some happiness and his cousin's romantic problems are mostly resolved, but he still found it rather odd and annoying that they were all over each other the few days after. He also didn't like not having the time to bond with his cousin or friend anymore ever since they only had eyes for each other and openly admitted to it.

"Alright then," he began, searching for something to do. "Lexi what are you up to?"

"I'm working Padfoot," she replied, scribbling something onto the parchment.

"Oh," he replied. "Can I help?"

Alexis turned to look up at him, quirking an eyebrow and wondering if she really was looking at Sirius Black, or Tonks had turned into Sirius just to mess with her. "What?"

"I want to help," he replied.

The look in his eyes told her he was Sirius because no matter how good at morphing Tonks was, she could never entirely imitate that haunted look. "Um…"

"Come on, it's not official Ministry work. This is just cases and trials right?"

"Yeah but…" she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Padfoot you need something to do," she spoke, tucking her parchment under a few other folders. "I probably shouldn't support you doing this, but how about you grab a book and I'll get you some chocolate and firewhiskey?"

He eyed the small piece of the parchment that stuck out from under her folders and wondered what she had to hide. Upon hearing his cousin's suggestion, Sirius beamed and nodded. "You know me so well cuz," he replied, grinning.

"Wait here, I'll be right back," Alexis sighed and disapparated right in front of him.

Sirius didn't know how long it would take her to get firewhiskey _and_ chocolate, but he knew he didn't have much time to waste. Curious, Sirius pulled out the piece of parchment she tucked away earlier and skimmed it, wondering what kind of classified, important case she was arguing for that he couldn't help her with. When Sirius' eyes travelled from the top of the paper to the bottom where her name was signed in a very sleek scribe, his eyes widened.

"That little snitch," he smiled, tucking the paper back to its place.

Alexis hadn't been working at all. She was writing a reply to a letter, a love letter to a familiar name and face, Deacon Stronghold. He shook his head, feeling a little lonely that both his cousins have a romantic love life and he's just left alone with chocolate and firewhiskey. He sighed wistfully as Alexis came back, holding two bars of chocolate and an unopened bottle of firewhiskey in her hand.

"Here you go Padfoot," she spoke, handing them to him. "Go into the kitchen or something if the library's taken. I need to work."

He smirked and pushed himself back up to his feet. Sirius sighed dramatically to get his cousin's attention. "Alright, I see that you don't want my company too," he sighed. "Sadly unlike you and Tonks, I don't have a romantic interest to occupy my time." He sighed again, dramatically, causing Alexis' sensors to turn on as she glared at him for reading her letter.

Sirius walked out of the living room and into the bright, sunlit kitchen, plopping himself down on the black wooden stool as he uncorked the bottle of firewhiskey and unwrapped the chocolate bar. He was happy, but it was times like those that he truly felt lonely. Sure he knew his cousins didn't mean to make him feel that way, but he couldn't help feeling lonely when all the people who were close to him had someone special to share their thoughts, while he had absolutely no one.

As Sirius drank his firewhiskey his thoughts travelled to the past and caused him to remember something. He did have a romantic interest, like everyone else he did have one. She was a beautiful woman with dark brown hair in sharp curls, defined features, and was so sweet and innocent. She was always happy, and being around her made him happy. She was the girl who he'd left unexpectedly twelve years ago. Now he wanted to find her, but what would he do once he found her? He was a wanted man for god's sake and she no doubt already has a loving husband and a happy family. Sirius shook his head and sighed again, wistfully.

"Snuffles there you are," Tonks called him, walking into the kitchen. She'd reverted into calling him Snuffles, the name they gave to his animagus form, all because of a joke he made a few days ago. "Come on do you want dinner or not cuz?" she asked him.

Sirius' sad eyes turned mirthful, playing on a façade he was all too used to wearing. He turned to her and nodded one too many times, grabbing his firewhiskey and chocolate as he joined Tonks and Remus at the table. Alexis had just risen from her seat in the living room and was walking over as well while Remus went into the kitchen and prepared the leftovers from last night. Sirius sat down, grinning at his cousin and best friend. He was kind enough to place the two bars of chocolate he hadn't touched at Remus' seat at the table.

"Tonks, now that I look at you, your bump is getting pretty big," Sirius commented.

Tonks mock scowled at him while Remus laughed and set the plates on the table. The bookworm had been all smiles ever since he came back from the party at Rosier's mansion with Tonks. He hung up the dress robes Alexis had magically transfigured for him neatly in his closet and then collapsed into the bed, later being cared for by Tonks. Remus had been all smiles ever since then and his wolfish grin seemed plastered on his face.

"Should I take it as a complement?" Tonks asked him, fighting to keep her voice even.

"I only mean well," Sirius smirked and shrugged, his gestures awfully similar to Alexis'.

Alexis smiled and shook her head. "You are five months in already, I think you're an early bird," she commented, gesturing to Tonks' very present baby bump.

"Moony my old pal, how are you taking this?" Sirius teased.

"Very well," Remus smiled and sat down beside Tonks. Through the glass dining table, Sirius could see them lacing their fingers together under the table. Their attempt at being discreet failed dramatically as Sirius smirked at them and Tonks realized the table was glass.

"Remus wanted to find baby names already," Tonks sighed.

"You're five months in. I think now's a good time," he replied.

Sirius and Alexis exchanged similar grins and familiar looks as they watched the couple. They were happy to see them that way, both finally together after so long and both finally smiling. They were also more than glad to see Tonks' uncaring of Remus' lycanthropy and Remus' treatment of Tonks' pregnancy, as if he really was the father and husband himself.

"Do you know if the baby's a boy or a girl yet?" Lexi asked, poking at her food.

Tonks shook her head while Remus replied, "We wanted to be surprised."

"So how are you going to choose baby names then?" Sirius asked.

"Ah, Remus and I already have a few in mind for both genders."

"Well throw that list away. When the baby's born, you're naming him Sirius."

Tonks laughed. "What if the baby's a girl?"

"You're still naming her Sirius," he grinned. "It's a catchy name. Sirius…Sirius…"

"Or you could name the kid Nymphadora," Alexis suggested innocently, ducking as Tonks threw a piece of dinner bread at her. "It's a beautiful name."

"I tried telling her that too but she wouldn't listen to me," Remus smiled.

"I am not torturing my kid with such a god awful name," Tonks replied, laughing. "You two," she pointed to her grinning cousins. "And you," she pointed to her laughing boyfriend. "You all are terrible," she spoke, sticking her tongue out.

"Fine, fine, how about we have your mother decide?" Sirius suggested.

"Speaking of Andromeda, I hate to burst your bubble, but she's going to want a very thorough explanation about this whole thing," Lexi motioned around the table. "And Ted too."

Tonks turned to Remus, her smile fading lightly. "Mum and dad will be back from vacation tomorrow. Should we visit them then or wait a little longer?"

"I think we should go see your parents then," Remus nodded. "They'd want to hear the news first hand from you, not from anyone else and if we wait any longer, it wouldn't be good."

"So how do you plan on taking this?" Lexi asked. "Should we just all come see them or should we wait and give them one shocker at a time?"

"Yeah because I'm still here in case you love birds have forgotten," Sirius added.

"I think we should just tell them everything tomorrow," Tonks nodded. "I know my parents and they'll be furious at me, but they'll be happy to see Sirius. That could hopefully balance out," she spoke. Tonks did know her parents. Yes she and her mum used to argue non-stop, but it didn't mean they loved each other any less. She knew just how to quell the anger within her parents.

"So it's settled, we're going to visit Andi tomorrow?" Sirius asked.

Tonks nodded. "And I wouldn't call her that unless you're asking for a hex. Mum hates that nickname you call her just as much as I hate my given first name."

Sirius smirked. "I'm sure Andi wouldn't mind at all because she'll miss me so much."

"Sirius, you're going in your animagus form however," Remus added. "I think we should tell Andromeda and Ted the news about Dora first, and then Sirius can transform back into his human self. It would help keep others from noticing him."

Sirius nodded. "That sounds good. They don't know I'm an animagus yet."

"And mum would be happy to hear that Lexi's back from France as well," Tonks smiled. "You are planning on staying here now right? After you've settled everything and are finally civilly talking to Deacon again, you really have no reason to go back to France."

"I have a job over there," Lexi replied.

"Which you transferred back to here," Tonks pointed out.

Alexis rolled her eyes and stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth. "Fine," she sighed, unsure if she should stay permanently or not. "I'll stay, at least until the baby's born."

Tonks sat back and smirked, continuing to finish her dinner along with her family. She was happy, and Alexis was right, Tonks' hair had returned to its original brilliant, almost blinding shade of bubblegum pink. She had Remus' hand laced with hers, him sitting at her side. Remus was taking care of her, something he thought he wouldn't be capable of doing before. He was taking care of her really well. He was the honest, stable, and protective man she always needed in her life. And despite her carrying a baby that wasn't his, Remus' warm heart still made her feel as if the child could be his very own. She was right. Remus Lupin was too kind, too gentle, and definitely too selfless.

* * *

><p>Her father was a fair haired, big bellied man with a mellow and pleasant voice. Her mother bore the patrician beauty so common in the Black family, except though she has a striking resemblance to her sister Bellatrix Andromeda Tonks had brown hair, softer features, and wider, kinder eyes. They were both silent, listening to their daughter speak, struggling to hold back their outbursts with what she was saying, at least until she finished. Ted stood beside Alexis, looking kind but tired as he watched his daughter and wife.<p>

Tonks sat on the couch beside Remus, their hands touching but daring not to lace fingers, not until their parents know of the news. Alexis was leaning beside the mantle, her arms crossed with Snuffles, Sirius' animagus form at her feet. They had just finished the greetings and the smiles and had just told Tonks' parents that Tonks broke off her engagement with Evan Rosier.

"Are you sure you know what you are doing?" Andromeda asked, her lips pressed in a tight, firm line and her voice was shockingly even. She looked at Tonks with motherly eyes that could make anyone under her gaze want to sink back into the overstuffed couch and disappear.

Tonks nodded firmly. She was just as stubborn as her mother and Alexis knew from growing up with the Tonks family that Tonks and Andromeda would often argue, both women never willing to be the first to step down. Alexis stayed quiet, patting an impatient Snuffles at her side to remain silent as well.

"Why would you break off this beautiful engagement with Evan Rosier?"

"Because I don't love him," Tonks replied forwardly.

"Nymphadora, it's not about love anymore…"

"Don't call me Nymphadora," Tonks snapped at her mother, her eyes glancing at her father who stood beside Alexis, shaking his head.

Andromeda ignored her. "It's not about love anymore. You are pregnant with his child. How are you going to go through with this? Do you plan on raising this child alone?"

That was the cue for the next announcement out of the three that Tonks planned to make that night. She turned to Remus, receiving a warm, reassuring gaze from him as Tonks spoke. "I don't plan on raising this child alone mum."

Andromeda had lost her Black family subtleness with her daughter and threw her arms up in the air. "Nymphadora are you out of your mind? Who do you plan on raising you child with then if not alone and not with Evan?" she asked, her voice rising in volume. She then glanced at Alexis once and shook her head, knowing the strong bond and close relationship Tonks had had with Alexis over the years ever since Alexis came to live with them when she was a mere toddler. "Oh no," Andromeda shook her head. "You are not dragging Alexis in on this. This isn't her problem to worry about. Nymphadora…"

"Stop calling me Nymphadora mother!" Tonks hissed. Using it once was alright for her mother. A second time was a bit of a push. But a third time was just too much for her.

"That's your name and I will call you as such," Andromeda replied, neither women backing down. "You are out of your mind."

"Andromeda," Alexis spoke up in an even voice from her spot beside the mantle. Oddly her soft voice got the attention of both women and they turned to face her. "Tonks is my cousin. I don't mind helping her raise the child. But it's not me who will actually be the one raising the kid with her," she explained.

"Who then?" Andromeda asked, turning back to her daughter and letting out a breath.

At that moment, Remus stood up, daring to look Andromeda in the eye. "I am."

"Remus?" Andromeda replied, almost gasping, surprised.

He nodded. "I…I'm currently dating Dora and Andromeda, I love your daughter. I'm more than willing, more than happy actually, to be able to help her take care of this child."

"You're joking," she replied, backing up, very uncharacteristically of her.

Andromeda turned to her husband who seemed lost in his own thoughts. She looked at Alexis, a face she always turned to hoping to find out the truth of the situation. Alexis looked serious. Then Andromeda turned to look at Remus and her daughter in their eyes. They too were serious. Her hope that this had all been a joke and that Tonks just wanted to get her mother on her feet again was gone. They were all completely serious.

"We're serious mum, dad," Tonks spoke and the truth came out.

She let out a breath and then suddenly motioned for Tonks to follow her. Andromeda walked into the kitchen, taking slow steps, frustrated with her young daughter. Tonks followed her mother, leaving her dad to stand there thinking and Remus to sit there waiting.

"Nymphadora," Andromeda began while Tonks only rolled her eyes and ignored the name. "You know what you are doing with this?"

"I'm a grown up now mum, I know what I'm doing. I'm thinking of the child and Remus is willing to help me. He'll be a great father."

"But…this is Remus…are you…?"

Tonks rolled her eyes. "If you worry that it's because he's a werewolf, then don't because I've already seen him as a werewolf and he's completely harmless when he's on wolfsbane, and Remus isn't forgetful, he'll remember to take wolfsbane every month."

"I wasn't worried about Remus being a werewolf," Andromeda replied.

"You're not?" Tonks asked, surprised. That was always the main worry for Remus. It was because he was a werewolf. But Tonks was surprised when her mother told her that that wasn't the reason why she was worried. "Well what are you worried about then?"

"You're young Nymphadora, and Remus is thirteen years older than you. Do you truly believe that the two of you can live together?"

If Remus' lycanthropy wasn't a problem, Tonks no longer had anything to worry about. She didn't even have to think as she nodded to her mother firmly. "Yes mum, I believe that we can live together. I've liked him for two years, no…I love him. And I know he loves me. If his lycanthropy isn't a problem, I don't see why age is a problem."

Andromeda Tonks was quiet for a moment, looking at her daughter. She can't deny that Nymphadora was all grown up now. Andromeda could still remember the clumsy and reckless little girl that used to run around and wreak havoc in her house and mainly on her dishware. She still remembered that colorful little girl, but now whenever she looked at her daughter, Tonks was no longer a little girl. She was now a colorful, grown up woman, and Andromeda would have to live with that. As long as she knew her daughter was in good hands, she had nothing to worry about. And she trusted Remus, after knowing him and his selfless nature for so long, Andromeda came to trust him. Perhaps Remus could stable her reckless daughter.

"Mum?" Tonks asked.

"Nymphadora, do whatever you feel is right," Andromeda spoke, her voice growing softer and her lips were no longer pressed in a firm line.

Tonks smiled and beamed, not resisting when she hugged her mother tightly, even if her mother had just called her Nymphadora. "Thank you mum, thank you."

The mother and daughter returned from the kitchen back into the silent living room. Remus immediately noticed that Tonks had a genuine smile plastered on her face and her mother too didn't look as tense as before. He nervously glanced at Ted who still hadn't moved from his spot beside Alexis and Snuffles. Remus was surprised to see Ted's eyes travel from Andromeda to Remus and give him a kind, knowing nod and smile. Remus felt his heart relax incredibly.

"Remus, please take good care of her," Andromeda spoke softly to him, smiling a bit.

He nodded, assuring her that he would. "Thank you Andromeda, Ted," he smiled.

Tonks walked over and easily laced her fingers into his, their hand fitting perfectly together. Alexis cleared her throat and pushed herself off from the wall beside the mantle, flashing them all her signature Black smirk before she began speaking.

"Now that we've got that out of the way," she began. "Andromeda, Ted, there's one more announcement to make and I hope you two won't be too shocked," she began evenly.

"Alexis please don't tell me you're pregnant too," Ted sighed teasingly.

Tonks couldn't hold back her laughter as she openly cackled at her cousin while Remus laughed reservedly beside her. Tonks could see her mother chuckle softly as well and knew that her father did the right thing in lightening the mood, even if he did pick on Alexis. It was all with good intentions, and Lexi didn't seem to mind.

Lexi's even expression suddenly bolted up into a grin and a raised eyebrow as she turned around and was about to say something back at Ted. She held herself back easily, regaining her composure. "No," she replied firmly. "Ugh, Tonks you tell them then," she retorted, folding her arms and dropping dramatically back to her wall.

"What else did you need to tell us?" Andromeda asked. Knowing her daughter, Nymphadora and knowing Alexis, she could just about expect anything from these two girls.

"Well I think it'd be better if we show you," Tonks replied.

"Padfoot," Remus called, turning to the black dog who had managed to seem invisible to Andromeda up until that point.

Both Andromeda and Ted watched in shock as Padfoot suddenly trotted up to the middle of the living room and smoothly morphed from the four legged dog form to a the human form of a lanky, haunted man who was looking a lot healthier than a few months prior. Sirius stood in front of Andromeda and Ted, wearing his signature grin that only he could pull off as he waved.

"Hey Andi, hey Ted," he smiled; purposely using the nickname he called Andromeda.

"Sirius…" Both Andromeda and Ted Tonks gasped together, staring at him.

After a long moment of silence, Tonks was glad that at least her mother or father didn't scream at the sight of Sirius. It took them a long while to recover themselves, but they soon did, and soon came the long chain of questions they all expected.

"Sirius, what is going on here?" Andromeda began.

"Mum, Sirius is innocent," Tonks spoke up.

"It was our friend Peter who was the Potter's secret keeper," Remus added. "Sirius had been completely innocent and was wrongfully sentenced. I ran into him at Hogwarts and brought him back here, hiding out at Alexis' house."

"Y…you're innocent?" Andromeda questioned while Ted was back into his thoughts.

Sirius nodded, taking a small step towards his favorite cousin. "Believe it or not, I am."

Another long silence passed over them but soon after, Ted was the one to break it. He cleared his throat subtly and room turned to face him. "I think if Remus is willing to trust him, we have no reasons not to," he spoke. Ted knew Remus had been Sirius' closest friend and Remus was directly affected by the Potter's death years ago. If Remus was willing to hold no grudge against the man, Ted and Andromeda Tonks had no good reason to.

Tonks watched as a smile danced across her mother's face as she walked towards the lanky, raven haired man and hugged him briefly. She pulled back and smiled at him. "I thought you'd turned over to them," she spoke in a soft breath. Sirius and her were close and it devastated her to find out that he had turned over to Voldemort years ago.

"I never would," he smiled. "I'd rather die."

"Always the same Sirius I remembered," she smiled, looking at her brother like cousin.

"Sirius, you've been staying with Alexis and Tonks all this time?" Ted asked.

"Well not really," he replied, smiling more easily now. "When I first escaped I was hiding out everywhere. But when I ran into Remus at Hogwarts and realized he'd forgiven me, he allowed me to visit his place often for food. And soon we were forced to move over to Lexi's house due to some living problems with Remus' old place."

"At least you're safe," Andromeda sighed. "You still have to hide from the Ministry."

"Yes, I can't go out in public without turning into a dog, but that's manageable," Sirius shrugged. "I made it to your place and no Ministry officials are banging on your door yet right?"

After Sirius had finished retelling the story of his escape to Andromeda and Ted, they had all sat together for a late night dinner, Sirius refusing no food that came his way from his favorite cousin. Remus sat beside Tonks, smiling happily with her. He had overheard her conversation with her mother earlier, but he chose not to tell her. He was just glad to know that Andromeda had easily overlooked the fact that he was a werewolf and could endanger her daughter. He was glad that she didn't care about it, that she trusted him. Remus laughed easily after Ted had shifted from teasing Alexis to teasing Tonks, being helped by Sirius and Alexis. He felt comfortable in that environment with those people, and he realized that those people were the ones who didn't care about his condition. He was happy to be around those who did not care.

* * *

><p>It was late in the night and Remus was comfortably sprawled out on the leather sofa in the library, a book in his hand and a half eaten chocolate bar in his other hand. They'd returned from Andromeda's house a few hours ago and Alexis and Sirius had gone straight to bed. Remus had thought Tonks would go to sleep too, until she came in and visited him in the library.<p>

"I thought you'd be asleep," Remus spoke softly to her, folding his book close.

She shrugged. A small smile was present on her face. "I couldn't sleep."

"Is something on your mind?" he asked her. He knew from years of being close to Tonks that whenever she couldn't sleep, something was troubling her, something was on her mind.

She shook her head. "No, it's not important," she smiled.

Remus knew her too well. He got up from his seat on the couch and moved over to her, sitting beside her on the opposite couch and pulling her into his lap, doing so easily. When they had started the relationship, they were both shy and hesitant, but after a few days, they both realized that they had always been comfortable with being very close with each other. Remus pulled her onto his lap easily, feeling no sense of awkwardness. He placed a gentle hand over her bump, rubbing it gently, feeling the innocent life forming inside.

"Something's bothering you," he spoke, not as a question but as a simple statement.

Tonks looked down at his hand on her belly and she placed her palm over his, sighing wistfully. "I'm worried Remus."

"Worried about what?"

"This child," she spoke, voicing her fears. "What if I'm a bad mum? I haven't thought a big deal on this, but now I realize that what if I can't raise this child right? I'm clumsy and reckless and I'm so immature. How will I raise this child?"

Remus sighed softly and tightened his hold around her slightly, assuring her that he was there. He rubbed her bump in comforting circles as he spoke. "We," he began. "Nymphadora, when I told you I don't want you to marry Rosier, I was also telling you that even if this child is not mine, I want to raise him or her with you. We'll raise the baby together. You won't be a bad mother. You're not immature. And being clumsy and reckless is just a part of who you are."

"We'll do this together?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Together."

Tonks smiled and leaned on him. "With you, I have nothing to worry about now."

Remus smiled. "I'm still sorry it took me so long to realize that this is perfectly right."

She shook her head softly. "Better late than never Remus."

"Alright, let's go back to bed now," Remus smiled, placing her on her feet as he stood up.

"I want to be with you a little longer," Tonks smiled. Though they were together, they didn't sleep together. Mainly because they weren't at that stage yet, even if they had known each other for years. Tonks held onto his hand, holding him tight to tell him that she wanted to stay with him a little longer that night before they each returned to their individual rooms.

Remus sighed and smiled. He held her face gently in his hand and kissed her fleetingly but genuinely on her lips. "You still have work tomorrow, get some rest. Come on, I want to sleep too," he spoke softly, taking her hand and leading her down to his room.

Tonks was confused as she followed him into his room but seeing as Remus set her down slowly on his bed, she smiled. "We're sleeping together?" she asked softly. She knew it was exactly what they were going to do, just sleep and nothing else, but she was surprised and happy.

He nodded and walked over to the other side of the bed, crawling in under the sheets. "Unless if you don't want to yet. I perfectly understand," he replied evenly. Being around the people who simply did not care or fear his condition, Remus had become more open and willing.

Tonks smiled and snuggled close against him under the blanket, burying her head into his chest as she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "I want to. Good night Remus."

"Good night Dora," he smiled, tucked back a strand of her pink hair and closed his eyes.


	9. A Love Story We Never Finished

**Author's Note:**

I'm going into Sirius' story a bit from here and then I'm pretty sure I'll slide back to Remus and Tonks soon because the baby still isn't born yet! ^_^ And I decided to go with a little bit of Sirius' part because I feel like it wouldn't be too smooth of a time skip if I just skipped right to Tonks giving birth to the baby when there is still so many months in between. So, I hope you enjoy! ^_^ Thank you for reading. Please review, thank you!

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><p><strong>Chapter 09 – A Love Story We Never Finished<strong>

Weeks went by and Tonks' bump only got bigger. However, unlike before where she would be afraid to show it, she now wore the baby bump with a brilliant smile on her pale, heart-shaped face. She was no longer unhappy and uncertain about her pregnancy, not when she had Remus Lupin right beside her. In the few weeks following the party at Rosier Mansion, Tonks found herself laughing more freely and living easier.

It was mid-day then. The golden sun was shining brightly in the cloudless sky. Tonks walked through the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic, her hair a blinding turquoise blue. The visitor's entrance was a crimson red telephone booth. After she'd deposited the muggle money into the odd contraption, the booth descended into the ground, dropping her off right in the middle of the Atrium. She stepped out, stumbling a bit but luckily still remained standing. Her brilliant grin and neon colored hair instantly brightened up the busy Atrium.

"_The visitor's entrance was always so much nicer than the employee entrance,_" she thought to herself, thinking about the long walk after apparition she'd have to take every day, or the faster but grosser method, flushing herself in through a special muggle restroom in London.

"Tonks," a playful and cheerful voice called. "I didn't expect to see you till later."

She turned to see the signature smirk of her closest cousin, Alexis Black. "Lexi, how'd you find me so quickly?" she asked, smiling at the young woman with a pretty, fair oval face framed by black and blonde hair.

Lexi faked a contemplative look and teasingly scratched her chin similar to Tonks' other cousin, a certain bumbling Azkaban escapee. "Well let's see…who else in the entire British Ministry of Magic is not only pregnant, but has a gigantic grin on their face, is a fan of the Weird Sisters, oh and not to mention the blinding turquoise mane," her cousin grinned.

"Alright, so I'm easy to spot. Shoot me why don't ya," Tonks laughed, walking with Alexis to the lifts on the far side of the Atrium.

"Hmm, trust me Tonks, as your cousin I've been considering doing that for ages," Lexi teased as they entered the half crowded lift and the wrought golden grills closed behind them. Alexis grinned when Tonks gasped dramatically and playfully hit her.

Standing in the lift together, Tonks would often times tease Alexis as revenge for her teases earlier. The young woman with black and blonde hair simply stood there and smiled, laughing along with her cousin, uncaring of all others around them, because she knew that the old Nymphadora Tonks had returned entirely and she'd missed that colorful and recklessly vibrant cousin of hers. Even Alexis could see that ever since Tonks and Remus finally got together, Tonks' bubblegum pink hair was significantly brighter, her grin was truer and her laugh was honest. Even Remus looked happy.

The lift came to a stop. Several minutes ago it was nearly full, but several minutes later, there were none but two people in the lift. Alexis and Tonks stepped out together with Lexi walking behind her cousin, keeping a close eye on the clumsy auror less Tonks tripped and fell. She was no longer alone, and now she had a baby to worry about. When Tonks turned to head into the auror department, she stumbled slightly but Alexis' hand was immediately on her shoulder stabilizing her and keeping her from hitting the ground.

"I'm fine Lexi, I'm not going to die," Tonks laughed.

"No, but it's better to be safe than sorry with you," Lexi smirked.

"Paranoid," she scoffed. "You have a new case I'm guessing? Is that why you're in the auror department?" Tonks asked.

"Actually no," Alexis smiled. "I'm here to hand a forgetful auror his report he left in my office," she replied truthfully with a small, reserved smile on her face.

Had it be one year earlier, Tonks would have cooed and teased her cousin. But one year had gone by and Tonks found herself maturing more than she expected. She simply smiled, happy that her cousin was happy as well. "Are you ready to go home then? I'm just here to drop off my maternity leave papers and then I'm off. We can go together," Tonks spoke.

"Sure, since I'm probably going to just sit and play darts with quills and pencils in my office anyways," Alexis replied. "Don't you hand your papers to Scrimgeour? He's in his office right now," she spoke, pointing to the strict looking man inside the too-neat office. "Better hurry before he leaves and we end up waiting hours for him."

Tonks made a goofy face as she hurried towards Scrimgeour's office. She walked through the doors, smiling inwardly when she realized she hadn't stumbled or tripped once on the way over, even with her hasty pace. Tonks handed her letter and proper paperwork to the man behind his desk. He scanned them quickly, too quickly, and then looked up at her with narrow, skeptical eyes. Tonks had to will herself not to raise her eyebrow and challenge him. She had a very obvious baby bump standing right in front of him, and if he was skeptical about it, Tonks would have deemed him completely daft.

"Have a nice leave Miss Tonks," he suddenly spoke, placing her papers neatly into a pile in the basket at the corner of his desk. "We'll see you in a few months." He attempted a smile and though it came out as a grimace, it still brought amusement to Tonks.

She nodded and politely bid him farewell, quickly exiting his office to meet with her cousin who stood waiting for her just down the hallway, happily chatting with two other people, aurors, friends of Tonks as well. She walked up to them, waving and smiling happily. Evelyn and her younger brother Deacon looked so alike. It was the first time Tonks noticed even though she'd known them for so long. Evelyn had a bright grin on her face, waving and smiling back at Tonks while Deacon simply stood in his fitting place beside Alexis with a kind and subtle smile.

"I can't believe you're going on maternity leave already," Evelyn smiled. "How long till the baby's due?" she asked quickly.

"We forgot to ask, but we know the baby's a she though," she smiled and chuckled.

"A girl?" Deacon asked, taking interest. Tonks never thought he'd pay any attention, but it turned out she was wrong. "Have you decided on a name for her then?"

"No, not yet," Tonks sighed, placing her warm palm on her belly. "We're still debating."

Alexis suddenly scoffed. "If by debating you mean childishly argue with each other and then wound up declaring a prank war with the winning prize being the ability to name the baby."

Tonks laughed, her laughter increasing with Evelyn and Deacon's confused face. They obviously didn't know about what had happened the last time Tonks, Remus, Alexis, Sirius, and Andromeda were trying to decide on a name. Her entire family was teamed up against her, wanting to name the baby Nymphadora, and Tonks was greatly opposed to it, not wanting to torture her baby. They ended up in a prank war, all thanks to a certain bumbling Azkaban escapee, and still no winner was decided, but Tonks had learned the hard way that Marauders play very messy pranks.

"Something has to be really funny, seeing the way Tonks is laughing," Eve commented.

"It is," Alexis chuckled, glancing up warmly at Deacon. "Long story."

"Really? We want to know," Deacon smiled, his smile meant only for her.

"When you're free you can come over and we'll talk," Tonks smiled.

Alexis' smile suddenly vanished and she turned to face Tonks with an unreadable expression in her dark eyes. Deacon and Evelyn were both facing Tonks, telling her that they were free that night and they could come over after work.

"How about tonight then?" Eve asked excitedly.

Lexi stood behind Deacon and Eve, shaking her head and moving her arms around.

Tonks was too caught up in the mirth and without thought, nodded happily. "Sure. I think you two still remember how to get to Lexi's house right?"

"Of course we do," Eve smiled. "We'll see you in a few hours then."

As the two aurors left, Tonks turned to Alexis, still smiling. She raised an eyebrow at her cousin how had just face-palmed herself, now holding her head in her hand, shaking her head back and forth, allowing black and blonde hair to fall freely.

"What?" Tonks asked innocently.

Lexi looked up with a mock death glare and gestured her arms in that of a strangling motion, pretending to strangle Tonks. "Cuz, you're brilliant, but in all that brilliance you have these moments of pure idiocy. You just invited two well-trained aurors…to meet _Snuffles_."

Realization dawned on Tonks' face. "Oh…shite," she replied.

"Shite indeed my crazy cousin, shite indeed," Alexis sighed.

"So what do we do?"

"It's your fault, you deal with it," Lexi scoffed.

"We can just call it off."

"You know Eve…she won't let you go that easily."

"Bugger. I guess we should go home and talk about this to Remus and Snuffles then."

They headed back to the lifts together, Alexis still shaking her head and rolling her eyes at her crazy cousin. Tonks smiled innocently, laughing nervously as inside her head, she was running through all the ideas she could use to prevent her auror friends from discovering her Azkaban escapee of a cousin.

* * *

><p>When they came home, Tonks and Alexis found the last two remaining Marauders lying lazily on the leather sofa, both facing the fire with sentimental faces, seeming like they were talking about their past together and their past when they were apart. Sirius had a nearly empty bottle of firewhiskey in his hand, staring at the dancing fire. Remus had a half eaten bar of Honeydukes' chocolate in his hand, fiddling with the golden wrapper. Both men looked up, smiled, and waved lazily when they saw the two women enter.<p>

Tonks sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Men are useless," she smirked.

Remus suddenly got up from his spot on the sofa, shoving the bar of chocolate back into the pocket of his shabby but comfortable looking light blue cardigan. He took Tonks' hand and guided her upstairs to their shared bedroom, a small, sly little smile dancing across his face. Lexi smirked and shook her head at the couple, finding it amusing the things they'd do.

"Oi," Sirius grunted.

"What Padfoot?" Alexis sighed, dropping into her sofa, taking the bottle from Sirius and finishing the last of its contents.

"I'm hungry, make me food," he laughed.

She chuckled and tossed the bottle back at him. A mischievous smirk suddenly played across her face as she remembered what she'd just finished nagging Tonks about. "Oi, don't worry about food. You're going to have bigger problems tonight."

"Psh, not bloody likely. I'm going to eat and then take a nap." He stretched his arms and yawned. "I just helped Moony build a baby crib. It's so bloody complicated doing it without magic, but Moony said it would be more stable." He shook his head. "Come on, be a good little cousin and make me food," he whined.

"Sorry Padfoot, but your problems don't end there," she replied with an apologetic face.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Well…how do you feel about meeting two…well-trained, skilled, and recognizable auror from the Ministry of Magic who still thinks that you, Sirius Black, are a completely mental and insane raving homicidal lunatic?"

"What?"

They suddenly heard Tonks' guilty laugh from the bottom of the stairs. Alexis and Sirius turned to face their cousin, standing beside Remus with their fingers laced together. Tonks looked at both her cousins and then turned to Remus, chuckling nervously.

"I'm guessing there's something up?" Remus spoke in a professor like tone.

"Yes well…I accidentally invited Deacon and Evelyn Stronghold over," Tonks replied.

Sirius' mouth dropped an entire foot, staring at Tonks.

"Don't be mad," Tonks replied. "Alright I'm sorry. I completely forgot that you were an escaped prisoner apparently still in hiding."

Once again Alexis face-palmed herself while Remus and Tonks stood quietly, waiting for a response from Sirius. After a while, he finally closed his mouth and loudly cleared his throat, standing up and pacing back and forth in front of Tonks.

He opened his mouth and took a slow breath as the others were anticipating a response from him. Suddenly, a wide grin spread across his face and Sirius Black clapped his hands, jumping once like a child. "Whoo!" he yelled, throwing his fist in the air triumphantly. "This'll be fun," he smiled. "When are they coming over?" he asked, turning eagerly from Tonks to Alexis and then back to Tonks.

The other three occupants in the room had odd looks on their faces, watching the man dance around happily. "Sirius…are you alright?" Alexis asked.

"Padfoot you do know that if they see you, they'll be forced to send you back to Azkaban since they are aurors and are in no way related to you right?" Tonks spoke.

Remus' odd expression of confusion suddenly turned into realization as he ran through the names again and checked them with his memories. Without saying a word, he gave Sirius a lopsided grin and shook his head at his long time friend.

"What?" Tonks asked him. "What'd you realize?"

"I'll tell you later. But I say…how about we let Padfoot enjoy some company…as Snuffles?" Remus suggested, smirking at Sirius who was gesturing his thanks many times.

"You're sure about this?" Alexis asked.

"I _am_ an animagus Lexi," Sirius smirked. "I can play with them and they won't even suspect a thing." His smirk turned into a grin.

"Sirius, you're completely bonkers," Tonks sighed and shook her head.

"Well this was all because of you," Lexi smirked and Tonks waved a dismissive hand.

Sirius continued to smile and dance around, humming a very odd but somewhat familiar tune. His hums turned into whistles. His smile was plastered to his face as he caused Remus, Tonks, and Alexis to all laugh as well. Only Remus seemed to understand why Sirius was so happy, and it all had something to do with a little confession Sirius had told Remus just a few weeks right before Halloween night of 1981, the night when everything changed. Remus shook his head and stood happily beside Tonks, smiling at his long time friend while wondering who Sirius' unfinished love story would turn out.

* * *

><p>Right before dinner time, the doorbell to the large modern glass house situated in the middle of nowhere rang loudly through the soft autumn evening air. Lexi shot up from her laying position on the sofa with surprise in her eyes. She rarely ever heard her doorbell being used. Most of the time people just knock, or barge straight in. Tonks too was surprised as she cocked a bemused eyebrow at the odd, out of tune ring of the doorbell. Remus was unfazed, shuffling the plates onto the table. Sirius was bouncing on his feet, quickly turning into his animagus form, a large black dog resembling the Grim, but before he did so he flashed his familiar darkly handsome grin at all those who were looking.<p>

Tonks was the one to open the door, smiling brightly and feigning innocence at the two aurors standing at the front step. Deacon and Evelyn responded to her smile with bright ones of their own and were invited inside. Walking in, Evelyn's eyes almost instantly fell on the large black dog who'd barked at her.

"Wow Tonks, Lexi, I didn't know you guys had a dog!" Evelyn squealed, running over to him, meeting the black dog halfway in the living room. "Evening Remus," she smiled. "I hope you don't mind me and my little brother dropping in and intruding on your family time."

"Evening Remus," Deacon greeted as well, both being quite acquainted with the kind werewolf professor who was Tonks' close friend turned lover.

"Evening Deacon, Eve," Remus smiled. "And no worries, you're not intruding at all."

"Ok good because we don't plan on leaving," Evelyn replied and continued to pet the large black dog. "Oh you are so handsome. What's his name?"

"P…"

"Snuffles," Lexi spoke immediately cutting Tonks off.

"Let me guess, Tonks named him?" Eve laughed, glancing up at the pink haired woman standing beside the professor and the rebel of the Black family standing beside her brother.

"No actually Remus named him," Tonks replied with a smirk on her pale, heart-shaped face. "Now come on, let's eat cuz we're all hungry."

They quickly found their seats at the long glass dining table. Alexis and Deacon sat beside each other, not openly showing their attraction but the ardent looks in their eyes were enough for others to know. Remus and Tonks were side by side, hands intertwined under the table, Tonks eating with her left while Remus ate with his right. Evelyn had pulled up a chair for Snuffles, growing fonder of the large black dog by the minute, petting him with one hand as she ate with the other.

Dinner conversations soon began and the group was almost like a family, talking easily with one another. Evelyn had first started the topic about Tonks' pregnancy, congratulating her and reminding Remus over and over again to be careful with Tonks' clumsiness. The conversations soon shifted over to Alexis and Deacon who then both began to turn a pale shade of pink, making Tonks realize that even the toughest could blush so easily once speaking about love. Alexis then quickly changed the direction of the conversations, turning it away from herself and over to Evelyn, the woman who had grown quite fond of the large black dog.

"Eve I never knew you were that fond of dogs," Alexis spoke, shoving a piece of dinner bread into her mouth and praying that the topic of conversation wouldn't turn back to her.

"Oh I'm not really," Eve replied easily. "See I like dogs but I don't obsess over them."

"It looks like you're obsessing over Snuffles to me," Tonks teased, looking at the way Eve would gently pet Sirius' fur and scratch him under his belly, behind the ear. One look in the eyes of her cousin, even if they were shaped differently, Tonks still knew that he was enjoying himself quite well. Maybe that was why he was so excited having guests over.

"Well this is a first, but your dog is just so adorable!" Eve squealed and hugged Sirius tightly. "Look how well behaved he is. And he has proper table manners too," she smiled, gesturing to his clean plate.

Remus suddenly chuckled, looking at his friend in animagus form, acting like nothing but an innocent dog. "Yes, Snuffles has very good table manners," Remus smiled sarcastically.

Tonks and Lexi both snickered when they saw Sirius' eyes roll. "Eve I think he likes you," Tonks smiled while making a teasing face at her cousin.

Sirius suddenly barked once at his two cousins, letting his tongue hang out from the side of his mouth. Eve continued to pet and snuggle against him, smiling and complementing him endlessly. The entire table laughed when he suddenly turned and licked her, but Eve continued to laugh, snuggling closer against the large black dog. She seemed quite fond of him. She was fond of him enough to feed him food off her own plate. She was fond of him enough to want to spend more time with him after dinner. And she was fond of him enough to even give him a kiss on the nose before she left for the night.

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><p>When the door finally closed, Tonks dropped down on the sofa beside Remus, receiving a warning glance from him as he was worrying about the child she was carrying. She grinned broadly and then turned to watch Sirius turn back to human from his animagus form. He was rocking on his feet side to side with a lopsided grin on his face. His eyes seemed amused while his cheeks have taken color. Tonks had to take a second look, realizing that her cousin, Sirius Black, was actually blushing, and blushing madly at that.<p>

"No wonder he was so excited and completely not opposed to having guests over," Tonks commented, continuing to watch him.

Remus smiled and wrapped his arms around Tonks, watching as Sirius dropped back down into the leather armchair, his face still star struck. "I've never seen him this happy," Remus told her. "It's as if he's dazed by his own happiness."

"Sirius is always dazed," Tonks replied. "But I guess tonight didn't turn out too badly. I mean the entire time neither Deacon nor Eve suspected that anything was up. So we're safe for the time being," she grinned.

Alexis came back from closing the door with a contemplative look on her face while her index finger was stroking the side of her cheek, a habit of hers when she was deep in thought. She sat down in the armchair beside Sirius quietly, her eyes glancing back and forth between her lanky raven-haired cousin and the blank space.

"What's on your mind Lexi?" Tonks asked, knowing that contemplative look too well.

"Sirius, do you and Eve know each other beforehand?" Alexis suddenly asked.

Sirius' trance like look faded from his face as he turned to face his cousins and friend with a suddenly serious expression. He nodded once, his eyes turning to Remus for help with explaining the story to his cousins. Sirius just remembered that Tonks and Alexis never quite knew about Evelyn. They knew he had a woman he loved, a woman he left behind that faithful night that turned his world upside down, but they didn't know that she was Evelyn Stronghold, auror, and a good friend of theirs despite the age gap.

"You knew Eve beforehand?" Tonks questioned again, uncertain.

"Actually," Remus began. "Sirius and Evelyn were dating."

Both girls immediately had surprise in their eyes. "Wow, I never knew that."

"I guess now that we know we can kind of expect it. They are of the same age group and they both went to Hogwarts. They would have known each other somehow," Alexis mumbled.

"And not only was I dating her," Sirius told them, his expression darker than before as he recalled his past and all the things he'd left behind. His biggest regret in life was leaving her behind, the one woman that he actually loved. "I was planning on marrying her."

Tonks and Alexis' jaws dropped, but Remus seemed unfazed. Sirius' decision to marry Evelyn had been the topic of a very sentimental conversation between him and his best friend just a few weeks before the dreadful night that marked an end to an era of their lives forever. Remus could still remember that night clearly, the night after the full moon where Sirius had personally sought him out and came to confide a secret in him, a secret he hadn't even informed James of yet. Remus gave Sirius a meaningful look, supporting his best friend.

"So how do you feel about her now?" Tonks asked softly, understanding how torn her cousin must feel.

He shrugged, looking up at the three souls who cares so much about him. "I don't know."

"You still love her," Alexis said bluntly, looking up at Sirius with comforting eyes.

Sirius laughed a humorless laugh. "Even so, what can I do about it?"

Tonks opened her mouth, about to answer, but she couldn't come up with one. She glanced towards Remus and he too shook his head gently. Alexis only sat there, looking at Sirius with solemn but comforting dark eyes. Tonks felt a new level of understanding with Sirius. She too knew how it felt to love but not have the love be returned. However, her story had a much better ending than Sirius'. Sitting there together, as far as they could see, until Sirius could prove his innocence and walk the streets as an innocent man, his love story will remain unfinished.

"It's alright, why are you all so gloomy?" Sirius suddenly laughed with mirth in his laughter this time. "It's not the end of the world. There are more women out there…ones who aren't aurors and won't hex my arse off if they ever see me as a human," he chuckled and managed to pull small smiles from the three listening to him. "And besides, why would I need a woman when I've got you three. I have my bumbling lawyer cousin Lexi, my reckless auror cousin Tonks, my werewolf best friend Remus, and did I mention I am the godfather to _the boy who lived_?" he spoke with a teasing smirk on his face.

Looking at him, they all managed soft sounds of laughter. At least Sirius wasn't wallowing in his past, and at least he had somewhat of an optimistic outlook on life. Tonks, now with a new level of understanding for the man, suddenly felt less of a need to instigate and tease him. She too understood how he must be feeling and she knew clear and well that when you fall into an unrequited love, it was more painful than an endless session under the Cruciatus Curse itself. But then looking at Sirius, the man who in the eyes of the public was still an escaped prisoner, she sadly knew that there was nothing she could do to help him. And so like the others, Tonks could only smile. She knew that Remus and Alexis were thinking the same thoughts as her, but rather than voicing it they simply smiled with Sirius.

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><p>It was late in the night and he thought the others must be asleep. Sirius walked quietly into the room where Remus had set the baby crib in, the wooden bed that he'd helped his best friend choose, pay for, and build just that morning. That room had the large window with a perfect gaze at the long, winding river and the darkness of the mountains in the far distance. Sirius walked inside and stood at the window, looking out and sighing longingly. He stood there in silence for what felt like a very long time. Though he was standing, he didn't grow tired. He simply stood there, looking at the darkened skyline where the sky touched the land, and wondered when he could be truly free again. He'd been thinking about that every night, dreaming of the day when he could be walking the streets as a free man again, but never did he ever mention it to his friend or cousins, knowing they would worry because they cared too much.<p>

A long while passed and he let out a heavy sigh. His wandering thoughts then drifted to think about the girl, the girl with curly brown hair and sharp, beautiful features, the girl from his past that had travelled to his present. His thoughts wandered around her, remember how they were in the past. Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the warm summer mornings when he'd apparate freely to her house and then talk a short walk up to her window to throw a rock and wake her up. She'd greet him with a smile. Then they'd hide from her strict yelling mother and she would sneak out with him, laughing and causing mischief together. He remembered she used to be so rebellious. And then his eyes opened and he now saw the older, more mature woman that was her. Evelyn Stronghold had changed so much in the twelve years he was gone, she changed, just like everything else in his life. But she still forever remained to be one of his biggest regrets. He regretted not telling her how he truly felt, leaving her to only believe in what she thought to be a fantasy. Sirius regretted in starting a love story with her, a story he knew he could never finish.

"Padfoot," a familiar voice, the voice he called his voice of reason, called. "You awake?"

"Awake and alert as ever Moony," Sirius replied, glancing back to see Remus come in.

"Having trouble falling asleep?" his best friend asked him kindly.

"Not trouble falling asleep…trouble staying asleep," Sirius told him.

"And why is that?"

He sighed and looked at his hands for a moment, wondering if he could have shaped his life any other way. "Whenever I close my eyes, I think of her buddy," he told Remus truthfully. "You'd know how it feels. When you miss someone but you can't be with them. And then as a man, you choose to hide it all inside, just because you want to appear strong…"

"…but in reality you know that you, like anyone, are really weak. You miss the beautiful girl that makes your day brighter and makes you smile for no reason, but you are afraid to tell her or say anything at all, because you know you'd be a burden to her," Remus finished, having once said the same words to Sirius.

Sirius smiled and nodded, continuing to look out the window. "It sucks. I miss her buddy," he laughed humorlessly. His laugh had a longing in it, a longing Remus never heard in any of Sirius' laugh. His laughter had a longing to feel the special emotions of love again.

"You're afraid you'd burden her."

"Of course," Sirius replied. "I feel like a hypocrite. All this time I yelled at you for being stupid about thinking you'd burden Tonks, but now I'm in the same position as you. I'm afraid I'll burden her because I'm an escaped prisoner."

"I know how you feel." That was all Remus could say, because he understood Sirius' feeling so well, having gone through the same himself.

"The only difference between you and me…is that Tonks actually loves you."

"That's not entirely true. Have you seen the way Eve was holding you and petting you? She must have felt _something_. A wise young witch once told me that no matter what form you are in, those who loves you will be able to tell the difference. Even if you are Snuffles, if she cares that much for you, she must have felt _something_." Remus smiled.

"Let me guess. Does that wise young witch go by the name Nymphadora Tonks?"

"More like Tonks or Dora, unless you have a death wish," Remus smiled.

Sirius chuckled and patted his friend's shoulder. "I'll keep those words in mind then mate. When did she tell you this?"

"Last month's moon while I was licking her hand."

Sirius laughed again and shook his head. He'd always liked talking Remus. There was an aura of calmness and level-headedness to the man that he liked. And throughout all the years, even Sirius had to admit that Remus Lupin was always the best listener. He understood him, even without him having to say the words. Sirius was glad for that, because some emotions could not be put in to words, and he was glad that Remus could understand. He was more than thankful for having a friend like Remus, and even cousins like Tonks and Alexis. He looked further out into the dark horizon and told himself that even if he couldn't finish his love story, at least his story in family and friendship would have a nice ending.


	10. Returning As an Old Friend

**Author's Note:**

I don't think I have Sirius' character part down quite well, do tell me if there's anything I should improve on. Thank you! ^_^ Please review, and thanks for reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10 – Returning As an Old Friend<strong>

His eyes were distant, looking out the large open window to some place far, far away. He'd been doing that a lot lately, looking out the window and dreaming of the day when he could walk freely out under the golden sunlight. As Sirius' grey eyes moved from the vermillion skyline to the sun's warm reflection in the river, he sighed wistfully, again imagining a day he'd be declared a free man. From where he was, hiding out under his cousin's protection, that day suddenly seemed so far away. He sighed again. He'd been doing that a whole lot lately, ever since Evelyn came over for dinner. Her fondness of _Snuffles_ had led him to see just how much he'd lost from twelve wrongful years spent in Azkaban.

"Padfoot," his cousin's voice called. With his attention so far away out the window, Sirius hadn't even heard when Alexis returned home.

"Lexi, home early today," he smiled.

She immediately noticed that there was something not quite right about his smile and kept her eyes on him as she pushed the front door to a close. "I finished all my cases today and thought I'd go home rather than sit there and be bored."

He smiled again, and she noticed it again that his smile wasn't quite right. It didn't meet his eyes and his grey eyes even seemed sad. "That's great then. Now I have someone to talk to."

"Where are Remus and Tonks?"

"The lovebirds," he teased, sticking his tongue out with mock disgust. But once again, Alexis noticed that the way he was acting didn't seem quite honest. It was as if his mirth was simply a façade. "They went to St. Mungo's for Tonks' check up and get a report on the baby girl's health. Left the house bickering about a name," he chuckled.

She came up closer to him, facing him as they stood beside the long leather sofa looking out the open window. She glanced at it once and thought maybe Sirius had been feeling sentimental when he was all alone. But the look on his face was a sad look. "Padfoot, all right?" she asked softly, setting her work robes down on the sofa.

A small smile flitted across his face and he nodded. "I'm fine."

She made a face and said, "I know you're sad. Sorry I can't be of anymore help."

He shook his head and walked over to sit beside her on the homely leather sofa. "You've helped me so much. No man who'd escaped Azkaban could've asked for anymore kindness."

"No one's escaped Azkaban before except you," she smiled. "And you're family."

"I don't hear you saying the same to Bellatrix or even Narcissa," he scoffed.

"They're not who I consider family."

"Then I'm glad I'm family," he smiled and placed an arm around her frail shoulders.

"Hey Padfoot…what would make you really happy right now?" she asked, wanting to cheer him up and see his mischievous grin reach his eyes again.

It may not be obvious, but she and Tonks alike both care for him deeply. Over the past week, she'd been discreetly watching him. She'd seen how he'd act happy and mirthful around them like not a thing was wrong with the world. Then she'd seen how he acted when he was alone, truly like the shell of a once eccentric man that he was. He'd sigh often and he would have a distant look in his haunted grey eyes. She could only guess what he was thinking. Alexis worried for him, worried about how much longer he could last in his position. He was a free man, but he was not really free, and she understood the concept that to have something halfway is more painful than to not have it at all.

The lanky man with haunted grey eyes and raven black hair sighed again, wistfully. "What would make me really happy is to walk the streets as a free man. I want to go see my brilliant cousin at one of her trials. I want to accompany Moony to buy stuff for the baby. I want to walk with Tonks to St. Mungo's and see her grin when the nurse tells her about her baby girl. I want to do all of these things…in person, rather than just hear about it."

"And you will soon…"

"But not soon enough, to be honest," Sirius sighed. "You've heard Moony's story about my past with Evelyn Stronghold. I can't stand seeing her…through the eyes of a dog. I know I shouldn't ask for much, but really, you all have fallen in love. You know how it feels or at least have somewhat of an understanding of how it feels…"

"It's miserable," Alexis sighed, having a basis of understanding. She and Tonks both did, since they all have fallen in love before. "Padfoot…"

"And what am I to do? I understand perfectly that right now, I can't look at her through any other way besides being in the form of a dog. But you know…sometimes you can't help but ask for a little bit more."

She didn't know what to say. All she could do was place her hand over his apologetically while wishing they could turn back time. "You'll be a free man again Padfoot," she told him but she didn't dare to promise him when. "Dumbledore knows you're innocent and he won't let you remain Pettigrew's scapegoat forever," she spoke softly. She wanted to help him, but looking at him, she couldn't think of anything else she could possible do.

He smiled wanly. His weary smile showed more of the haunting past he'd lived than ever before. "I can tell that you, Tonks, and Moony alike are all trying to help me. I don't want you to be troubled over me. You have work and Tonks and Remus have the baby to worry about…"

"It's no trouble at all. Know that Padfoot. Worrying is just a part of being a family. We want to see you happy. Truly happy," she added when Sirius opened his mouth and was just about to say something. "Not putting up a mirthful façade."

He looked at her for a moment, reminding himself that only his cousins knew him best, she and Tonks and even Andromeda. Of course Alexis would be able to see through his façade. Even Remus could. "Alright cuz," he sighed, not wanting to be of any more trouble. "You know what would really make me happy right now?"

Alexis smirked. She knew Sirius too well. "Firewhiskey is bad for you."

"Firewhiskey is a necessity of life. Drinking is in our blood my dear Alexis."

"Fine, one bottle," she sighed. "But you're sharing it with me."

"Well that's no fun. You'll drink most of it," he smirked. He knew Alexis too well.

"Would you rather have nothing at all or live with one bottle?" she retorted.

"Alright fine," he huffed. "Bring forth the whiskey."

She managed a small smirk on her face, hesitating for a moment but she ended up apparating into her secret stash to grab a bottle of firewhiskey. One moment she saw Sirius' wan and weary smile looking up at her. Another moment she was facing a wall stacked high of firewhiskey in a room with no doors or windows. Alexis sighed and leaned back, glancing up at her stash of alcohol. She knew she shouldn't support him drinking. Once she brought the bottle of firewhiskey into Sirius' sight, her cousin would no doubt drink it all up.

"_Well I guess I could trick him,_" she thought, looking for the part of special bottles with significantly less alcohol than a normal bottle of whiskey.

Once again Alexis sighed and glanced up at her vast collection of the finest drinks. Just when one problem came to an end, another opened up. When Tonks' pregnancy finally found calm tides, Sirius suddenly began sailing on rougher winds. She gripped the bottle tight and disapparated back to her living room. One moment she saw the tall, closed off store room. Within the blink of an eye and the _crack_ of apparition, she was now back in her living room.

* * *

><p>Never before in her life would she ever think about being where she was at the moment. Tonks was sitting on the rows of waiting chairs in the hallway of St. Mungo's hospital, waiting for the nurse to come out with the most recent health report of her baby girl. At her side was Remus, his one hand around her waist, placed over her stomach protectively while his other hand was smoothing out her shoulder length bubblegum pink hair. When she turned to steal a glance at him, she found him smiling. Looking at his genuinely mirthful grin with a subtle resemblance to the gentle and protecting werewolf he was, Tonks found herself smiling as well. Their eyes met and their hearts felt flustered. The feelings never faded for them and even then, they still get butterflies in their stomachs. Even after several months, they still blushed because of each other and were as if they'd just fallen in love all over again.<p>

"We still must settle on a name," Remus told her with a young, lopsided grin.

"I liked the idea you brought up a few days ago of naming the baby girl in honor of someone," she replied. There was a soft smile that seemed permanently plastered on her face because there she was, sitting with her lover, a man she wouldn't trade for the world. They were thinking up baby names and discussing a future with a mutually understood underlying meaning that they would spend it together.

"We obviously can't name her in honor of Padfoot," Remus chuckled.

"Yes. Poor Snuffles will be so disappointed," she smiled while watching his own smile.

"How about Nymphadora in honor of her lovely mother?" he smiled sweetly.

"No!" She responded by playfully pushing him.

"But it's such a beautiful name."

"Remus John Lupin, you are asking for a hex."

"It really is," he told her sincerely.

"If I can't stand it, surely my daughter won't be able to either."

"How about Dora then?" he smirked.

"No."

"And why not?" he retorted and chuckled, simply because he was happy with how his life had surprisingly turned out. He'd never thought he'd live a day like that.

"I don't know but I have a feeling we shouldn't name her Dora, just because."

"Oi, you're so picky," Remus sighed. "Nymph-"

"Finish it and I'll hex you into the middle of next week."

He laughed. "Dora."

As Tonks scowled at her lover, a nurse exited from a set of fancy double doors and approached them. She had a kind smile on her face as she came up to speak with the matching couple and soon to be parents. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin?" she asked in a soft and airy voice.

Remus' lips quirked upwards and formed into a wide lopsided grin. He nodded and replied before Tonks could react. "Yes we are."

"I have the report for your baby's health right here. She's developing faster than average but it's nothing to worry about. At six and a half months, she's coming along well and there are no health problems at all. You are also very healthy Mrs. Lupin and so the child has nothing to worry about." The nurse smiled warmly.

The grin on Remus' face widened and he beamed significantly when Tonks smiled as well. "Do you know when she would be expecting?" he asked in a warm and gentle voice.

"Most likely around mid-February," she nodded and smiled.

"When would our next checkup be?" Remus asked again, being the doting lover.

"In about two weeks I'd say," the kind nurse replied. "And by the way, I've seen on your profile that you are an auror Mrs. Lupin, did you hand in your maternity leave yet because auror work could be a real strain on the pregnancy."

"Yes I've handed in my papers for maternity leave just a few days ago."

"And, and there would be nothing to worry about?" Remus asked again to be sure.

"Of course Mr. Lupin," the nurse smiled. "It's always such a beautiful sights seeing new family like yours come in for checkups. When you are due, you can simply come straight in here. One of us will be here to help you right away. Since you are in good health and the baby is in good health and with Mr. Lupin here you are in good hands, there is absolutely nothing to worry about," she reassured them with a twinkle in her eyes similar to Dumbledore's.

After the nurse finished, she bid the couple yet another smile and then turned to leave, returning to the set of fancy double doors where she came from. Two smiling faces were left in her wake Remus and Tonks with a protective hand over Tonks' stomach and permanent smiles plastered on their faces. They turned and faced each other as their smiles turned into grins. Had it been just several months earlier, never would either have thought they would ever stand there, together, smiling like that without any fear or restrictions.

"Did you hear what the nurse said?" Tonks asked while her complexion glowed.

"What did she say?" Remus replied, feigning innocence as he tried to contain his mirth.

"She said that I'm in good hands with you. I guess that settles any arguments about you not being able to take care of me doesn't it?"

"And it also eliminates one of my reasons on why you are too good for me."

"Remus John Lupin, you are more than worthy of anyone. But I'm glad you chose me," she told him in a soft voice with an air of seriousness to it, telling him that she was unchanging and will always be unchanging in her decision that he was a good man.

He smirked at her. Every second he spent with her, it was like he was falling in love all over again, every single day, again and again. It was such a good feeling to him, to be in love over and over with the same wonderful woman that he knew would never turn away from him. He held her in his arms, her pregnant belly in between them and inside was a being that he happily called _their child_, tying Tonks and him together.

"Did you hear what the nurse called you?" Remus asked, blushing.

"What'd she call-"Tonks began but abruptly stopped when the title _Mrs. Lupin_ replayed within her mind. She blushed intensely and bit her lips, her hair turning to a hue of baby blue. It was the same shade it would turn when she was embarrassed but happy at the same time. Looking into Remus' eyes, she saw the same feelings in him, and her heart melted at the realization that he was finally her lover.

While they were teasing each other, Tonks noticed a familiar face approaching them. Her pale, pretty face was framed by sharp brown curls while an amused smile was spread across her thin lips. Her face was marred by dirt however and her clothes were dirty with a large tear. Tonks could only guess that the auror had just returned from a rather exciting mission.

"Hello lovebirds," Evelyn teased.

As Tonks responded to her friend, Remus simply chuckled. "What happened on your mission Eve?" she asked, closely examining the scorch marks on Evelyn's auror robes.

"We just chased down a supposedly dark wizard through a corn field and Dawlish, my partner, got hexed. He's being treated by the nurse right now," she laughed. "I had a bet with Deacon that I'd go to St. Mungo's today because of him."

"Dawlish is always at St. Mungo's," Tonks laughed.

"Dora, he's almost as bad as you," Remus added, causing Evelyn to laugh hysterically.

"Leave it to the doting lover to tell you the awful truth," Evelyn laughed.

"Oi, I am not that bad! And Dawlish is different from me. We shouldn't even be compared," Tonks defended herself while sticking her tongue out at Remus' innocent grin.

"Yes Tonks, you and him are so different," Eve continued to laugh. "Dawlish actually waits for someone to put him in St. Mungo's while you just wound up here all by yourself."

"Great, let's all pick on Tonks," the pink haired auror huffed.

"It's nothing Nymphadora," Remus smiled and patted her.

Tonks grunted and scowled at both her lover and her friend. She opened her mouth and was about to retort but a nurse had called Evelyn over and they quickly bid farewell. They waved to the amused auror together, then turned and walked away together. Remus continued to chuckle softly as Tonks continued to scowl at him, but they were still hand in hand and happier than ever before.

* * *

><p>She threw a quick glance behind her, seeing the backs of the happy couple that walked away from her. Though the man wore shabby clothes and looked more weary as the moon grew full and the woman was a jumping ball of life with bright, eccentric colors, they matched each other perfectly. Watching them walk away, Evelyn turned back and sighed to herself. She would always be that way, for as long as she could remember. Every time she saw a happy couple around her, she would wish to be just like them one day, someday, to care not about the strife of the world but to only see as far as her lover's eyes.<p>

"Auror Stronghold," the nurse called and that caught her attention. "Your partner will have to stay overnight since his stinging hex is reacting badly."

"That'll be fine. If there's nothing else, I'll go then. Oh and please tell him he has a report due on our boss's desk tomorrow morning," Evelyn added with a pleasant smile.

"Will do Auror Stronghold," the middle aged nurse replied as both women turned around, walking in the opposite direction.

Evelyn walked slowly while taking off her scorched and torn work robes. The corridor suddenly grew quiet around that time and she could hear two women conversing, one being the nurse who she'd just spoken to, and another being a different voice. She couldn't help but listen in as they were making no secret of whatever it was they were saying.

The unfamiliar voice sighed. "I forgot to give them the papers of the report."

"Merlin Cindy, you're so forgetful," said the familiar voice of the middle aged nurse.

"What am I supposed to do? They left already. And I thought today was a good day."

"Go to the main desk and ask to mail the papers to Mr. and Mrs. Lupin you silly girl."

She suddenly paused. "Mr. and Mrs. Lupin," she mumbled to herself. "They must be talking about Remus and Tonks." She didn't understand why but she suddenly turned around and hurried back to the two nurses conversing. "Pardon, I'm sorry but I overheard your conversation. You need to hand this to Mr. and Mrs. Lupin? I'm a friend of theirs, I can take it over to them right now and save you the trouble," she smiled kindly, revealing faint dimples framing her lips.

"Oh Auror Stronghold, that would be too much to ask," the familiar nurse replied.

"It's fine really. Your name is Cindy correct? I'll take the papers to them no worries."

"Thank you, thank you so much Auror Stronghold," the nurse named Cindy replied gratefully while handing her the thin packet of papers.

"See you then," Evelyn waved as they walked off, giving her another grateful smile. She knew that as long as Dawlish was her partner, she would be seeing the nurses again. He always got hurt at work, every single mission he went on. It soon turned into a joke at the auror office, many people even betting on how long Dawlish would stay at St. Mungo's each time.

Only when she turned back with the folder in her hand did Evelyn suddenly realize that she offered to help so eagerly was because it would mean she had an excuse to pay a visit to Alexis' lovely home and play with their dog Snuffles a little bit. She bit her lip and smiled as she walked, wondering why she loved that dog so much. He was so obedient and so wonderful. She only met him once and already she was looking for excuses to spend time with him. And oddly, she'd also noticed that even though she was an auror, around Snuffles she felt more protected. Evelyn allowed a small smile to appear on her thin pink lips. Hopefully the two girls and Remus wouldn't mind her dropping by to play with the wonderful dog known as Snuffles.

"Wait, bugger Tonks and Remus must not be home yet, it's not even late," she mumbled to herself inaudible to others. Mumbling was a habit of hers with unknown reasons why. "But Alexis would be home and she wouldn't mind me dropping by," she spoke again in an almost inaudible voice and snapped her fingers.

* * *

><p>Remus hadn't been there in a long time. He'd only roam the streets of Diagon Alley, never the streets of muggle London. He couldn't even remember when the last time he'd been there was. As he walked and looked around, everything seemed new to him. He didn't remember much about muggle London, but he knew one thing for sure. The last time he was there, he wasn't a happy man walking hand in hand with a brilliant and colorful auror, the girl with pink hair. The last time he was there, he remembered he was depressed and tired of life. Looking back, things definitely had changed since then.<p>

He turned his eyes away from the busy muggle streets of London to look at Tonks. She was grinning beside him, her eyes excitedly darting from one place to another, one direction to another. Watching her, he felt so happy and complete. His eyes glanced down at her pregnant belly she wore proudly, and he felt even happier. Though the baby inside wasn't his biological child, it wasn't something he cared about. He just knew that he was going to act as a father for the baby, and so he was well on his way creating a family of his own.

"When was the last time you've been here?" Remus asked her.

"A few months actually," Tonks replied and held his hand tighter. "You?"

"The last time I was here, I was with Padfoot and Prongs," Remus told her with a smirk.

"What? You mean for more than ten years you've never stepped foot into muggle London?" she asked, her voice growing a bit louder.

"I didn't see any point in coming here before," he defended. "We were going to buy Harry his first Halloween costume, something Lily said we Marauders should do," he explained to her, yet another memory he shared with his closest friends, closer than brothers. "Padfoot was going to get Harry a giant pumpkin costume while Prongs wanted to get Harry one of those old looking wizard costumes," Remus chuckled.

Seeing him smile at his reminiscent, Tonks couldn't help but grin as well. "I don't think poor Harry Potter would enjoy being dressed up as a giant pumpkin or a muggle's interpretation of a wizard," she told him and shook her head. "What did you want to dress him up as?"

"I was just there to babysit the two kids," Remus teased with a lopsided smirk.

"Remus-" she spoke, knowing he was hiding something by the look on his face.

"I wanted to get him a little green dragon costume," he replied guiltily.

Tonks cracked up laughing, imagining Harry Potter, the famous boy who lived, in a little green dragon costume. "And what did the three Marauders settle on?"

"Nothing," Remus laughed. "We each bought what we want and were going to make Harry choose on Halloween night." He suddenly grew sad. "Halloween of that year…"

As if on cue, Tonks immediately held his him closer, walking with her side against his. She reminded herself that she needed to watch what kind of conversations she and Remus walked in to. She didn't want him to grow sad because of his past again much like a certain cousin of hers always would lately, thinking about everything he'd lost on that one faithful Halloween night. They definitely got tricks instead of treats, and the tricks changed their lives.

"Padfoot hadn't been here in years. I want him to be able to walk freely on the streets…

"We all do Remus," Tonks told him and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"He suffered the most from that night. He lost James. He lost Lily. He lost his freedom. He lost me…and Peter. He lost you and Alexis, and Andromeda too. And…he lost Evelyn…"

"We're here now Remus," Tonks sighed, thinking about her cousin now and growing sad as well. It didn't have anything to do with her, it shouldn't. But with him being her cousin and with the word cousin meaning the world to her, she felt saddened with Sirius' burden as well.

"Dora, being with you…has made me realize something," Remus began softly.

"What is that Remus?"

"Love isn't impossible," he told her with certainty. "I never thought I'd be here…but here I am today, walking with you," he smiled, a sincere and honest smile of joy, love, and comfort. "As for Padfoot…one day Evelyn will come back to him. I know I'm making an assumption based on nothing here, but seeing the way she interacted with Snuffles, it's enough to know that there are still some subtle feelings left between them."

"I think so too," Tonks smiled. "One day Padfoot will get everything back, his freedom, Evelyn, and until that day comes, we're still here to help him."

Remus placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tighter to him as they walked on the busy streets, the day turning to the evening as the sun began to set and the air grew cold. "I just wish he'd tell us more about what he's thinking. I know he's hiding his sorrows."

"That's people from the Black family to ya," Tonks sighed. "When he's ready he'll tell. Trust me. He'll sit us down and talk to us about it openly, but only when he's ready. It's usually a lengthy process with these people. The Black family passes on so many similar genes," she sighed again, drawing a smile from him with her own. They continued walking, their arms wrapped around each other with soft and subtle smiles on their charming faces.

* * *

><p>Whenever the house was quiet, he suddenly felt more alone than ever. Remus and Tonks had gone strolling out somewhere in London and won't be back till late. Alexis was upstairs taking a shower to relax herself after a tense and stressful day. As for him, he was left there on the first landing, pacing trenches all over the house as he searched for something to do, something, anything at all. Sirius had even tried cleaning and standing still, his eyes turned back to the feather duster and he was seriously debating whether or not to clean a third time.<p>

"Blimey I'm going mental and stir crazy," Sirius grumbled to himself, walking over to the large window in the shining room that was scattered with setting sunlight.

Once again he found himself staring out the partially open window, looking to a place somewhere far off in the distance. His eyes lingered at the spot on the darkening skyline where the sky touched the earth. It was a beautiful sight, seeing the golden sun begin to set and its color turning from luminous gold to a warming vermillion. He sighed again, wishing that one day he'd be able to journey outside freely to anywhere he pleased, as a free man. Sirius crossed his arms and watched the sunset while dreaming of a day where he was entirely a free man.

A knock on the door pulled his attention away from the sunset. He quirked a bemused eyebrow as he glanced at the direction of the door. From where he stood, he couldn't see the door, but he still knew that they weren't expecting anyone over that day. Remus and Tonks wouldn't knock and enemies would just break the door down. Sirius was about to ponder deeper into the curious thought of who was at the door, but his curiosity demanded answers immediately and so Sirius waved a hand towards the direction of the door, using wandless magic to unlock the front doors. He didn't turn around however and simply stood there, returning to his gazing.

With the silence so loud and thunderous, he could hear the visitor's footsteps. They belonged to a girl. He knew that, because no man ever walked that softly no matter how light-footed he was. Sirius was about to turn around.

He could hear the female visitor take several steps closer to him and he thought it would be rude not to greet her back. Without thinking about much, Sirius turned around and grinned at the woman, smiling warmly.

Suddenly, his smile vanished and his fleeting feeling of mirth turned to fears and insecurity. The visitor gasped and her eyes widened at him as she quickly took in his appearance. Sirius wanted to face-palm himself, but he decided not to, enjoying being able to see Evelyn Stronghold through his human eyes again

She was no stranger to him. His heartbeat rose a little higher as his body felt a little tenser and his stomach jumped a little bit more. His throat felt dry and his mind was raided by memories of the long forgotten past, happy memories he never dared to think about in Azkaban for fear that they were all a dream. But looking at her, he knew they weren't dreams. They were real memories, real moments of his life. She stood there in front of him, like an old friend. She who was once his lover, now returned to him as an old friend, seeking an explanation no doubt.

"Evelyn-" he began softly at the same time as Evelyn.

"Sirius-"

She was tempted to take another step closer to him, but her auror mind reminded her that she was standing in the face of an Azkaban escapee, a dangerous man with a million tricks and schemes in his dark mind. She swallowed hard and whipped out her wand. Sirius was quick and within the blink of an eye, they both had their wands out, pointed at each other's hearts.

"What are you-get down, now!" she suddenly ordered.

"And what are you going to do with me?" he asked casually, teasing her.

"You're a dark wizard!" she replied, her voice raised as her wand pointed threateningly.

"Evelyn, put the wand down," Sirius told her, holding up both hands in front of her.

"Don't expect me to trust you…Black," she replied, feeling odd when she called him by his surname. "I know the story. If you could betray your own friends, you can betray me without a second thought. After all, who am I to you?"

Sirius huffed and looked up at her with deep, meaningful eyes. "Evelyn, listen to me."

"No! I'm not falling for your tricks!" she replied. Perhaps it was her fear overtaking her, fear that if they spoke softly to each other she would succumb to her innermost desire and hug him, hold him tight. Even after all those long years with him gone, Evelyn realized that there were still fragments of what they've shared left within her, memories she wanted gone.

"Eve!" Sirius raised his voice to get her attention.

"_Stupefy_!" she called, sending a stunner straight at him.

It didn't surprise her when Sirius swatted it away like nothing more than an annoying nat. She wasn't focused and her stunner was weak. And obviously, if Sirius was Lord Voldemort's most loyal servant, he would be a skilled dark duelist as well.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Alexis' voice sounded as she quickly stumbled down the stairs, her hair still wet but untangled and her clothes on her bag dripping with water from her hastily dried body after her shower.

"Alexis," Evelyn sighed. "Sirius Black is in your house!"

Sirius looked at Alexis and Alexis looked at Sirius. The woman with black and blonde hair dripping with water swallowed hard and took a breath as she turned to face Evelyn, her friend. "Eve…I know," she said.

An expression of shock and surprise fell on Evelyn's face. "You knew? And…"

"And I let him stay here, yes," she told her honestly. "He's my cousin Eve, what am I to do? Besides, he's an innocent man. He wasn't the one who divulged information of the Potter's location to Voldemort. It was Peter Pettigrew," she added quickly.

"You're not making any sense. You have an escaped criminal in your house!"

"He is my cousin," Alexis replied, her voice rising.

"He caused the death of Lily and James Potter. He killed Peter Pettigrew."

"Peter is not dead," Sirius spoke up. "Peter was James and Lily's secret keeper, not me."

"You're lying," Evelyn spoke while her eyes shifted from Sirius to Alexis, back and forth between the two cousins that she now finally realized had a strong resemblance to one another and the rest of the Black family. "You were Voldemort's most loyal servant. He must've taught you a few tricks and you're messing with Alexis' head…"

"I'm not messing with anyone's head," Sirius cut her off with a familiar tone he'd always use whenever they were arguing. Suddenly, Evelyn found herself lowering her wand and she listened to him. "I did not sell my best friends out. I would have rather died. But Peter thought differently. Peter wanted protection from the war and he was the traitor. For twelve years he'd been hiding as a rat in the Weasley family. We only found him in June and Remus brought me here to live with my cousins for now." He bit his lips, watching her.

Evelyn parted her lips and was about to speak when Alexis suddenly threw her arms up in the air. "If we tell her bits and pieces, it's not going to make sense. Eve, put the wand down and we'll talk. It'd be better if you get the whole story." She turned and faced Sirius with a look that made him mentally understand that he would have to be the one to retell the story.

"I'm an auror. I can't…"

"Work hours are over, you are Evelyn Stronghold," Alexis replied. She was picking out the minor details and enlarging them, a thing all lawyers seem to enjoy doing.

"I won't hurt you…Eve," Sirius told her in a soft, sincere voice.

Her knees went weak and if she hadn't been standing with her hand placed on the white leather sofa, Evelyn would have fallen over. She'd missed him so much and seeing him again, so unexpectedly, was definitely a surprise. She saw that he was the same man but different. There was a haunted look in his eyes, a look caused by years being in a nut house like Azkaban. He was skinnier and more frail than before. He looked tired and worn. But when she looked closer, she saw that he was still the same, darkly handsome Sirius Black with his silly, rebellious nature but kind and loyal spirit. She looked a bit closer and saw that he was still the same Sirius Black that she'd fallen in love with. She never wanted to admit it, but even when he left her that night thirteen years ago, she'd never fallen out of love with him. Some feelings still remained…

"Please trust me," Sirius spoke. That was his voice of plea, she recognized.

Evelyn was quiet for a moment. Her eyes turned to Alexis and saw her stoic expression. She knew though Alexis enjoys loafing around, she would never joke during a situation like such. And she knew that Alexis Black wasn't a fool. If Alexis could trust Sirius, Evelyn didn't see why she couldn't. After all, they had once been lovers and she was once ready to devote the rest of her life to him, to him and only him.

"Tell me everything," she told him in a soft voice and lowered her wand entirely as she took a seat. Logically, she didn't know why she did that. She was facing an escaped criminal, the most wanted man in England. She was an auror and it was her duty to catch him. So logically she was wondering why she didn't and why instead she was sitting down and listening to his story. That was all logic. But putting all logic aside, Evelyn knew exactly the reason why. She was afraid to admit it, but she still felt something for him…longing, want, curiosity…love?

He was more than happy when she sat down. She was giving him a chance. Sirius didn't waste a second of it as he leaped over the armchair opposing her and sat down hastily. He drew a small smile from her face, sneaking through her stoic expression. He'd always hated retelling the awful story, but for her, he could tell it to her a million times, as long as it brought her closer to forgiving him for leaving her. He told her everything from the very beginning, from when the Marauders began to doubt and become skeptical of each other. He told her how he felt about her as well, spilling out the truth whether they were good or bad. Sirius wasn't looking to impress her with twisted reality. He was looking to receive her trust and forgiveness, and he'd learned that total honesty was always the best way to go with it.

Everyone knew the story, but that was only the story the Ministry decided to publish. Not many people knew Sirius' side of the story, and when Evelyn heard it, it was as if the puzzle had been completed. Before she always thought there were many holes in the story, but never did she dare to look deeper for fear of her feelings for him returning him. But once she saw him and realized that her feelings never left to begin with, she acknowledge all these holes and hearing Sirius' story, was like filling in all the missing pieces. Suddenly everything made sense and by the time Sirius finished, she found her guard completely lowered. If it was his plan to lower her guard and then attack her, he'd succeeded.

Right when Sirius finished his last word, the front doors suddenly opened. In walked Remus and Tonks with soft, subtle smiles on their faces, hand in hand. At first they were oblivious to the three people watching. They were too busy smiling at each other. But when they looked up, the mirth on their faces faded and in its place a new feeling of fear and worry was apparent. Tonks looked at the scene, seeing Evelyn, an auror, seated across from her two cousins, one of them being an escaped criminal and her old flame.

"Evelyn, you've met Sirius," Remus spoke in a shockingly calm voice but his expression on his face said the complete opposite. Looking at the auror, he was afraid she would take his best friend away from him, take Sirius away, again.

Tonks was quiet. She could only watch as Eve nodded.

"We told her everything," Alexis spoke in a low voice, barely above a whisper.

Dead silence rang through the room. For a while, no one spoke. They all stared at each other, waiting to see what would happen next. Tonks was ready to push herself in between Eve and Sirius if necessary, because the word cousin meant so much to her. Alexis was ready to grab Sirius and disapparate right out of there if something was to happen. Remus was ready to raise his wand against the kind auror, because his best friend was like a brother to him and he couldn't let him be taken away a second time. Sirius was ready to accept whatever fate gives him, because seeing how much Tonks, Alexis, and Remus still cared for him, he knew he would never be alone. As for Evelyn, she wasn't ready for the decision she soon had to make.

"Do you trust me?" Sirius asked, breaking the dead silence. His four words were not only heavy on her, they also had the underlying message that if she did trust him she would have to keep everything she'd learned a complete secret from everyone else she knew. She'd have to go against her code as an auror, and she'd be going against her logical mindset. But that was only _if_ she trusted him…


	11. A Matter of Trust and Forgiveness

**Chapter 11 – A Matter of Trust and Forgiveness**

It was a question that she too was asking herself. Did she trust him, or not? Evelyn sat there in silence, staring in the eyes of four people who were waiting for a simple yes or no answer. Three of those eyes were almost identical, despite their colors being different. Another wave of silence passed them by and Evelyn thought it was time for an answer, whether she was ready or not. She went with what her heart screamed at her to do.

"I trust you…" she spoke softly, seeing Sirius' eyes beam significantly.

A grateful smile fell upon all their faces, each smiling a different way but still giving off the same expression.

"Eve, thank you," Sirius smiled and spoke in a soft voice to her.

"What are your plans?" Eve suddenly asked.

"What?" Sirius responded at once.

"What do you plan to do? You can't just stay in hiding for the rest of your life."

"We're…" Sirius began.

"We're sort of waiting for instructions from Dumbledore," Remus spoke up, shoving his hands into his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his feet.

"Albus Dumbledore knew about this?"

Remus nodded. "He was the one who told Sirius to hang out with me for a while until he gets things sorted out."

"And it's not like there's much we can do," Tonks mumbled sadly.

"The Ministry won't even consider giving Sirius a proper trial without any solid evidence," Alexis added. "It's been so long, all evidence is gone by now and Peter Pettigrew escaped. What can we do now?"

"So you're basically trapped here, stuck in Alexis' house night and day?"

"Well…I do leave occasionally—as Snuffles…"

Evelyn's eyes widened with surprise. When she heard the name, she knew she couldn't have been mistaken. Snuffles was the name Alexis, Remus, and Tonks called their large black dog she'd met the last time she came over. No wonder she didn't see the large and handsome black dog anywhere. The auror quickly deduced that Sirius must have been Snuffles. That would explain why such a ruggedly handsome dog was so well behaved and friendly towards strangers.

"You're an animagus?"

Sirius nodded, smiling guiltily. He'd forgotten to tell her that crucial part in his story.

"How did you learn in Azkaban?"

"I didn't learn in Azkaban. I learned while we were in school," Sirius replied as he glanced at Remus who had his head bowed down slightly.

"Evelyn, as you know, I am a werewolf," Remus spoke, avoiding her eyes. Tonks' hand tightened around his discreetly as she remained quiet, allowing him to talk. "When Sirius, James, and Peter discovered this back in school, they learned to become animagi to accompany me during the full moon to keep me from harming myself and keep me from feeling lonely."

"We succeeded in fifth year," Sirius continued on for his friend. "You may not remember the insignificant conversation but back then you wondered why Remus looked healthier since fifth year. That was because James and I were there to keep him from taking his frustration and anger out on himself during the full moon, so he wasn't hurt as badly."

"I remember," Evelyn told him and once again, she saw Sirius' grey eyes beam. She smiled slightly. Sirius had always been loyal and caring of his friends and family. Just seeing the bond the four people in front of her made her realize that obvious fact. She became more trusting of him, beginning to believe that his innocence was a fact which shouldn't be denied.

As more words were being exchanged, they each began to relax a little bit more. They were sitting now, discussing and explaining in further detail to the observant auror of what exactly had went on in the past twelve years. Sirius had a small smile on his lips and so did Evelyn. Their smiles didn't come unnoticed however, as both Remus and Tonks were smirking at each other and Alexis smirked to herself. Sirius seemed happier, truly happy. He wasn't putting up a mirthful façade to get them to not worry. He was genuinely happy.

By the end of the night, Evelyn was laughing easier, along with the others. It was late and she soon got up, bidding her farewell and slowly headed for the door. Being around Sirius, she felt her feelings returning to her, faster than she'd ever expected. She knew they were never entirely gone, but she never thought that they would all come back to her so quickly.

"It's uh—it's good seeing you again," Sirius spoke nigh shyly.

"It's good talking to you again."

Evelyn smiled and her voice was soft. She took a step forward just like she always did before, many, many years ago when they met and she would have to leave. She stepped forward, leaning closer to Sirius in the same notion that she was about to give him a kiss. However, she stopped herself that time. It wasn't the right thing to do anymore, because they were nothing more than friends…

"Good night," Sirius spoke and knowingly eased her awkwardness.

"Good night Padfoot," she responded and smiled gratefully before slipping out the door.

When he closed the door entirely and no longer saw the back of the old friend and one time lover, Sirius turned back to face his best friend and cousins who were all watching him with amused looks on their faces.

He parted his lips, about to question them but the three spectators quickly scattered, walking off into different areas of the house while feigning innocence. Sirius shook his head and sighed—at least they know when not to probe. He walked back to the living room but his eyes remained discreetly on the door, waiting for the loud _crack_ that would come from Evelyn's apparition out of their area.

After they were done winning her trust and being assured that she wouldn't try to arrest Sirius, he then saw another thought pop up in her mind. Her eyes were so clear in showing it. He sat down and sighed. She was thinking about what happened in the past, how he had broken so many promises to her and left her by doing something so stupid and reckless. He sighed again and massaged his temples, wondering if there was a way to get her forgiveness. She never said that she didn't forgive him, but she never said she did either. And Sirius knew her too well. As a woman, she wanted some form of apology…

"Lost in your thoughts again Padfoot?" his best friend's soft voice called out to him.

"Guess so mate," Sirius replied. "Seeing Evelyn gave me a heart attack," he scoffed.

"At least she didn't arrest you," Remus spoke, seeing that there was something else troubling his best friend. "And she now knows the reason why you left—and she's no fool, she wouldn't blame you for something like that."

"Moony my old friend, there are some things you still have yet to learn about these kinds of women," Sirius chuckled as Remus quirked a small, amused smile. "I'm not too sure about others, but Evelyn Stronghold, I _know_ her. She may say nothing, but inside she wants some form of apology—for my stupidity I guess."

"Not all women are like that," Remus reminded him.

"But this woman is like that." Sirius smirked. "And if I know Tonks well enough…"

Sirius stopped mid-sentence when he saw Tonks walking up to them, her hand on her back as her pregnant belly looked bigger than before. She had a little smile on her face, a smile they all recognized to mean something like one of those—you may not like this—statement. Sirius laughed softly while Remus got the cue from her smile and stood up. He took her hands gently with his and Sirius shook his head, rolling his eyes at his best friend and cousin.

"What do you need Dora?" Remus asked softly.

"I uh—I'm craving dark chocolate for some reason," she spoke almost timidly.

"I thought you hate dark chocolate," Remus replied.

"Yeah. I don't know why but I just really, _really_ want some. Right now."

Like they'd all expected, the kind bookworm Remus Lupin laughed and nodded his head. Whenever she got one of her odd cravings, he would never complain. Instead he'd laugh kindly and do whatever he could to satisfy her sometimes normal, sometimes odd, sometimes unexplainable cravings. Remus knew that he was lucky enough as it is that she hadn't thrown temper tantrums like some of the pregnant stories he'd heard about.

"Are you feeling well enough to join me or should I go by myself?" Remus asked.

Sirius groaned loudly and rolled his eyes as he pushed himself off the sofa. "Yes, abandon your best friend of over a decade for you girlfriend," Sirius spoke in a teasing low voice as he walked away from the couple. He knew Remus, and he was glad to see Remus "Moony" Lupin, the man who once thought he'd live a lonely life, become such a doting lover. "She's my cousin you know," Sirius called back at them as he ascended the stairs. "If you're going to get all lovey-dovey, please don't do it in front of me. It's rather scary," he laughed and his laughter grew when he heard Remus' soft chuckles and Tonks' accidental snort from down below.

* * *

><p>In the auror records, there were many wooden shelves lining the walls, overfilled and stacked high with papers, reports, and records. The room was large, like a grand and very messy library and it had a musky smell to it. The spaces between shelves were very cramped and narrow. It proved to be quite a challenge for Alexis who was simply trying to get previously recorded evidence for an old case she'd just taken up. She stood on her tiptoes, treading carefully through the ridiculously small space between two shelves. Her hand was outstretched, trying to grab the necessary files without knocking anything over and creating a mess. Just maneuvering through seemed difficult enough.<p>

"Having trouble there Lexi?"

She turned around to face the owner of the soft and gentle voice. Evelyn stood there and smiled at her with a pile of folders in one hand and a stack of papers in her other.

"Yes of course," Alexis laughed. "I don't get how you aurors do this stuff every day."

"Well you get used to it after a while," Evelyn shrugged as they both continued on with their work. Evelyn was filing reports back into the shelf while Alexis was looking for hers. "Mad-Eye Moody hated doing this though. He doesn't even fit in between these shelves. Neither does Kingsley," she laughed conversationally.

Alexis laughed and nodded as she continued to look.

"Hey Lexi, you're a lawyer, how long do evidence usually last?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, how long until evidence for a case become ineffective?" Evelyn said again.

She turned back to look at the dark haired auror after she got her last needed file. Alexis raised an eyebrow, wondering if Evelyn was thinking about Sirius' case and whether any of the evidence back then could help him.

"It depends on the kind of evidence," she replied. "Are you talking about…?"

"Yes," Evelyn replied but her tone was still conversational. "He can't live this way forever. It's—it's unbearable…"

Alexis stepped closer to her friend and placed a hand on Eve's shoulder. "To watch?"

"To watch, to live…"

"We can't change it entirely, but you can make it a bit better to watch and to live."

"What do you mean?" Evelyn turned around to face the clever young witch.

"He was really happy as Snuffles when you came over the first time. You can tell that for yourself. Then a few days ago, he was ecstatic when you agreed to sit down and talk to him, knowing who he was. When you left—and nearly did what you guys used to do, he blushed slightly." The young witch spoke in a soft voice and smirked, having paid extra attention to the minor details her cousin failed to hide behind his stoic expression.

"What can I do?"

"A lot of things apparently," Alexis replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Lexi I know where you're going at…but it's been years. It's been more than thirteen years and I just don't know."

"I know," Lexi nodded and shifted from one leg to the other. "I'll see you later Eve, these are kind of urgent," she smiled, her tone unaffected by the brief conversation they just had.

Alexis showed to be the more coordinated out of both her cousins as the woman easily maneuvered around Eve, even in the small space, and was soon on her way to returning to her lawyer office. Evelyn watched her go while replaying the conversation they just had inside her mind over and over again several times. In the end, she finally settled that Alexis was right. Though they can't entirely help Sirius prove his innocence—not until they caught the rat, Pettigrew—they could still make his life a bit better to live and to watch. And Evelyn wanted to give it a try herself. She wanted to see him smile again. She wanted to see his uncaring, mischievous grin that she took for granted many years ago and now was no more.

* * *

><p>Once again, the tranquil modern house lying practically in the middle of nowhere looked like a battlefield on the inside. The sofa and armchairs were pushed hastily to the side and the floor was scattered with pictures, clippings, and all sorts of this and that. In the middle was a large pile of 'things for the baby'. There were clothes that would fit the child from birth till possibly age two. There were baby toys to go through the years. Three boxes of diapers were stacked unevenly beside the containers of powdered milk. And around the house, the everyday items were pushed in one direction or another in an attempt to clean the house up and make it 'baby safe'. In the middle of the battlefield stood three people with huffing faces as they looked around them and realized they'd only made it worse.<p>

"Where should we put the sofa?" Sirius asked.

"We'd have to clear up this pile first," Remus spoke, pointing to the pile in front.

"So where are we going to put the clothes, milk, diapers, bottles, and toys?" Tonks asked.

"Does Lexi have any more rooms in this house?" Sirius wondered.

"None that are empty," Remus replied.

"We are so buggered when Lexi gets home," Tonks huffed, looking around.

"A cleaning charm should do the trick," Sirius nodded and made a face.

"I don't think even magic can clean up this war zone," Remus sighed.

"It looks like a baby store just exploded in our house," Tonks said and made a face.

Sirius laughed as he dropped down to the ground, sitting with his legs crossed. Looking around, he understood why Tonks was afraid of when Alexis got home. He knew his cousins well, and Alexis would just about shoot them all with a muggle gun if they didn't get the mess cleaned up, even if it was for the baby.

The doorbell suddenly rang and it took them all by surprise. They all knew that no one ever uses their doorbell. If it was Alexis, since she was the one who'd set up all the protection charms, she'd just apparate right inside, or if she felt polite she'd just unlock the door herself. If it was Andromeda, she would have walked through without even glancing at the bell.

"I'll get it," Remus called as Tonks followed him slowly.

When Remus opened the door, Sirius caught a quick glimpse of curly sharp hair on an unforgettable pretty face before his friend blocked the doorway. They exchanged a few words and Remus kindly stepped to the side, allowing Evelyn to answer. Sirius bit his lips unknowingly. He hadn't expected to see her again, not this soon, and he didn't have any kind of well thought-out apology ready at all.

"Hello," Evelyn greeted with a kind, cheery smile. "I hope you don't mind me dropping in so unexpectedly," she spoke politely.

"Oh of course not Eve," Tonks smiled and her eyes twinkled as an idea just popped into her mind. "Though I'm afraid you'll be stuck here with Sirius. Remus and I were just planning to go over to my parents' house for a bit."

"You are?" Sirius spoke without thinking, turning from Tonks to Remus.

"Yes, yes we are," Remus smirked, quickly tagging along with whatever idea Tonks had.

"My mom's fussing over me not coming over often," Tonks added.

"She is?" Sirius wondered again and drew a small smile from Evelyn's face.

"That's fine Tonks. I wouldn't want your mother to yell at you," she smiled. "I wanted to talk with Sirius for a bit anyways."

"Oh good," Tonks replied cheerfully as she walked over and took Remus' arm. The loving couple with their street clothes already on walked out the door casually, leaving behind a shy Evelyn and confused Sirius in their wake.

Realizing that his cousin and best friend had just purposely left him alone with her, Sirius quickly turned back to the pile of baby clothes and pretended to sort them, busying himself. "I uh—I've got to get this cleaned up before Lexi gets home or else she'll kill me," he spoke, settling that it was probably true and he should clean it up.

"Ok, I'll wait till you're done," Evelyn replied conversationally and took a seat on the floor across from him, watching as Sirius hid his grey eyes behind his shaggy black curly hair. His hands were moving fast but with no purpose as he picked through the pile of baby clothes, picking them out from the baby toys and other baby things.

* * *

><p>They came over to Andromeda's house unexpectedly, but luckily no matter how strict she was, Andromeda Tonks always welcomed her family. Ted and Remus were seated in the living room, discussing the importance, difficulty, and joys of being a father over a cup of tea. Ted gave Remus plenty of advice and as for Remus—he was seriously debating the idea of writing them all down. The two men chatted amiably, leaving the two women to bustle about in the kitchen as pots and pans softly clanged against the counter and a china plate smashed against the ground. Without even looking, they all knew it was Tonks' doing.<p>

In the kitchen, Andromeda was cooking dinner while her daughter watched. Like always, Andromeda would be maneuvering around the kitchen while Tonks sat on the high stool, watching her mother and trying not to break anything. Even though she was pregnant, she'd sit the same way she always sat when she was little. She'd swing her legs back and forth and occasionally rock the chair back and forth, much to her mother's displeasure.

"Nymphadora will you please stop that? What if you fall?" Andromeda asked.

"Mum, don't call me Nymphadora," Tonks groaned.

"I am your mother and I will call you by what I named you. Now stop rocking."

"Fine," Tonks sighed and groaned. It was the same words, the same script from age three.

"You're going to be a mother soon sweetheart. Don't be so reckless anymore."

"It's just a chair mum. I fall all the time."

"When you're a mother you'll understand," Andromeda sighed.

"Ok I'll stop messing around," Tonks sighed and turned to face her mother who was now doing the dishes. A smile fell on her face as she leaned in, eagerly talking with her mother and asking her about anything and everything, just like she always did when small. "So how difficult is it being a mother?" she asked.

"Being your mum? It's very, very difficult sweetie," Andromeda sighed and smiled.

"I am not difficult," Tonks retorted and made a childish pout.

Andromeda laughed. She hadn't been able to talk and spend time with her daughter like that in a while. Nymphadora was either too busy or simply too grown up to be acting like a silly little girl anymore, and though she loved the girl more than life itself, Andromeda still had to admit that she missed the old times when her daughter would pout and just be childish.

"I always missed seeing you doing silly things like pouting and acting like a child."

"But you always yelled at me for being childish mum," Tonks retorted.

"You were being mischievous and up to no good," Andromeda replied.

"That's how kids are."

"You're just being difficult Nymphadora."

Tonks laughed and soon Andromeda did as well. "I really should come over more often," she spoke softly, still smiling. It wasn't until that moment, seeing her mother smile, that it felt like all the time they spent together before had been taken for granted. Tonks never appreciated seeing her mother smile because of her, but now she began to and regretted all the times she didn't. She wondered why it was like that. Was it because she was soon becoming a mother herself? The answer didn't come to her, but all she knew was that spending time with her mother, the moment felt so intimate and took her back to her childhood. She loved it.

"You always said you would but you rarely do," Andromeda spoke conversationally.

"Well I'm going to now," Tonks replied. "I miss you mum."

Andromeda stopped what she was doing and wiped her hands on her apron as she looked up at her pink haired daughter. She usually kept up a very good stern and serious face, but her strict act always faded with Tonks' presence. A genuine smile spread across her lips as she held Tonks' face and kissed her daughter on her forehead. Her little girl was growing up now. Her little girl was becoming a mother herself, and Andromeda wanted it to be an experience they could go through together. After all, for too much of Tonks' life, she'd done things by herself.

"I miss you too sweetie," Andromeda smiled softly.

"What if my daughter becomes like me?" Tonks wondered as she placed a hand over her pregnant belly. "I was such a bad girl when I was little and…"

"You were never a bad girl. You are wonderful Nymphadora," her mother reassured her. "And if your daughter ended up like you, you should be happy. You're the best daughter and I could never ask for anything different," Andromeda smiled.

Tonks smiled as well, wanting to be close to her beloved mother. "I used to be so clumsy. I still am," she laughed. "Hopefully my daughter won't take after me in that."

"Oh I wouldn't say it's entirely a bad thing. Your clumsiness does make for some very good and embarrassing stories," Andromeda laughed as she turned her eyes to a spot in the kitchen tile with chipped off pieces and a very deep and odd looking crack down the middle of one. "I remember the time where you tried to find where I kept all the chocolates and ended up tripping over the chair leg."

"Yeah," Tonks laughed, embarrassed. "I grabbed onto the pile of pots and pans and they all fell down, practically shattering the floor."

"I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I miss hearing your humorous curses and death threats after you fall," Andromeda teased. It wasn't a surprise when she made her own daughter laugh with a light tease. She was after all related to Sirius, Tonks, and Alexis. If the three could manage a _little_ humor here and there, she could do so as well.

* * *

><p>While cleaning, they'd lost track of the time. Sirius hadn't managed a completed conversation with Evelyn, not when he couldn't come up with a proper way to apologize to her. Whenever he did try to wing it and apologize, the words seemed too difficult to say. He didn't know what to say to her. He kept wondering what exactly do you say to a woman you'd unexpectedly left behind. He was just glad that she was helping him, willing to come see him again, despite them being what they were. He was still an escaped prisoner and she was an auror.<p>

After a while, Evelyn soon began to help Sirius clean. They would work quietly together while Sirius turned on the muggle CD player Alexis had in her living room, amusing Evelyn who was a pure blooded witch and had no idea what the CD player was doing. She'd dust and he'd put away the heavy stuff. They worked in comfortable silence and Sirius would find himself stealing glances at her. Then he would inwardly laugh at himself because he was becoming less like himself and more like Remus in love. Sirius had never been one for the subtlety. That had always been Remus' forte. But now there he was, stealing glances at Evelyn as if they were shy school boy and girl, flustered and innocent to the cruelty of the world.

His hand would graze over hers as he rearranged the various everyday items in the house. Her eyes would flicker on him and then shy away. Sirius would smirk, realizing that he was becoming more and more like his best friend than he'd ever expect to be. On the stereo, the song he chose still played over and over again. He never did learn how to take the muggle contraption out of replay mode. Evelyn would listen to it with him and there would be a ghost of a smile on her face. The lyrics seemed to fit them so well. They had something in the past that they thought had been forgotten, but it was all coming back to them now.

_There were nights when the wind was so cold  
><em>_That my body froze in bed  
><em>_If I just listened to it  
><em>_Right outside the window  
><em>_There were days when the sun was so cruel  
><em>_That all the tears turned to dust  
><em>_And I just knew my eyes were  
><em>_Drying up forever  
><em>_I finished crying in the instant that you left  
><em>_And I can't remember where or when or how  
><em>_And I banished every memory you and I had ever made_

"Hey Eve," Sirius finally spoke as he turned his back to her, finding a spot to place the boxes of diapers.

"Yes Sirius?" she replied in a soft voice.

"I'm sorry," he told her in a dead serious voice.

"For what?" she asked him. Her hand had stopped dusting and she was listening aptly.

"For—for being stupid…"

She knew what he was referring to. "What you did, wasn't stupid…Sirius. If I was in your position, I would have done the same thing. What happened back then—was just something that none of us expected." She spoke in a soft and gentle voice.

He placed the box of diapers down where he stood and walked back over to her, taking quiet, gentle steps. Sirius stood behind her now, speaking softer than he ever did before. "I'm just sorry I left you back then. You must have thought I was a complete and utter arse."

"Sirius," she sighed but she didn't face him. "I always thought you were a complete and utter arse, even before I dated you."

"So why'd you date me?" Sirius teased, taking one daring step closer to her.

She knew he was close but she didn't move. "I don't know," she replied, unthinking.

His brain had never made any good decisions before, and he didn't trust it to make any that time around. Sirius simply did what he wanted to do, what he felt like doing. And right then, he wanted to apologize to her, and maybe a little bit more.

"I'm still sorry," he told her. "Please forgive me?"

"I forgive you."

Another daring step brought him closer to her. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder, caressing her neck with the tips of his fingers. Sirius couldn't hold himself back from being close to her again. He was unsure of what she thought, but in the past and the present, it never really did matter to him. He just knew that it somehow felt right, just like before.

_But when you touch me like this  
><em>_And you hold me like that  
><em>_I just have to admit  
><em>_That it's all coming back to me  
><em>_When I touch you like this  
><em>_And I hold you like that  
><em>_It's so hard to believe but  
><em>_It's all coming back to me  
><em>_(It's all coming back. It's all coming back to me now)_

She took a breath and turned around to face him. Her face was close to his, too close. And then she noticed that something had changed. Sirius would have normally pushed in the final distance, sealing her lips with his and resolving any problems they had with a kiss and a trip into bed. But at that moment, he simply looked at her with soft, longing eyes. It was then that she noticed he'd changed, and it was a change she didn't mind at all.

_There were moments of gold  
><em>_And there were flashes of light  
><em>_There were things I'd never do again  
><em>_But then they'd always seemed right  
><em>_There were nights of endless pleasure  
><em>_It was more than any laws allow  
><em>_Baby, baby_

"Sirius," she called his name gently, her voice a whisper. "I missed you."

"I missed you too…Eve," he smiled and his lips grazed against hers when he spoke but never did he kiss her. He was becoming more and more like a certain werewolf best friend he knew. Sirius was afraid of burdening her, because he was an escaped prisoner and she was an auror. It was her job to arrest him and she definitely shouldn't be kissing an escaped prisoner.

"I—I should go," she spoke suddenly and turned away from him, afraid that she would succumb to the past too quickly and afraid that he would leave her, again.

"Evelyn," Sirius called. She stopped and he looked at her back for a moment. He was Sirius Black, bold and straightforward in love. Subtlety had always been Remus' forte, and Sirius wanted to keep it that way. Subtlety was never his forte and he didn't want it to become so. "Stay for dinner…please."

She didn't turn around but she didn't walk away either. She never could resist his charms. It had always been that way for them.

"Lexi's going to kill me if she sees this mess. Stay and help me," he added, chuckling.

Evelyn smiled, feeling easier around him now. She'd forgiven him, and she trusts him. Between them, it had always been a matter of trust and forgiveness wasn't it? So since both were handled, she saw no reason why she couldn't stay—and prevent Sirius from a brutal lashing from his cousin all because he'd made a battlefield of her living room.

"I'll stay, if I don't have to clean," she finally succumbed and turned around to him, smiling. Her smile brightened when she saw Sirius chuckle and pushed aside a box of diapers, freeing up the sofa and gesturing politely for her to sit down.

_If I kiss you like this  
><em>_And if you whisper like that  
><em>_It was lost long ago  
><em>_But it's all coming back to me  
><em>_If you want me like this  
><em>_And if you need me like that  
><em>_It was dead long ago  
><em>_But it's all coming back to me  
><em>_It's so hard to resist  
><em>_And it's all coming back to me  
><em>_I can barely recall  
><em>_But it's all coming back to me now  
><em>_But it's all coming back_


	12. Back to When We Were Whole

**Chapter 12 – Back to When We Were Whole**

Outside was cold but inside they were warm, lying back on the long sofa with a warm blazing fire burning under the mantelpiece. Tonks laid there, staring up at the ceiling with her hand over her heavy belly, feeling the beating rhythm of the baby inside. Her cousin Alexis laid on the other sofa, her eyes closed but she was very much awake. At least she'd been awake five minutes ago. Five minutes later and Tonks wasn't so sure.

"Oi, Lexi, you awake?" Tonks asked and used her feet to push her cousin's feet.

"Yeah," Lexi replied in a lazy mumble.

"Really? If you aren't go to sleep," Tonks laughed.

Alexis sat up, rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms. "No I actually am awake."

"Oh good. Now you can help me think up baby names," Tonks smiled.

"You're kidding me. Tonks it's the middle of December and you still haven't gotten any idea or any proposed ones?"

"Absolutely none. Remus and I can't settle on anything," Tonks sighed.

"Why not Nymphadora?"

"Alexis Lydia Black, I am going to rip your tongue out, step on it, and then hex you into the middle of next week," Tonks warned.

"Wow, vicious," Alexis scoffed as Tonks shot her a fake death glare.

She pulled her legs up, sitting with them both crossed on her sofa as she looked at her pink haired cousin and smiled. A while ago, Tonks' mind was preoccupied with endless worries—about how she was going to be a mother, about what she should do with her love for Remus, about her unhappy engagement. But now, Tonks was back to her old and colorful self. Her hair was bubblegum pink like always, but it glowed like neon lights. Her smile was easier and less burdened, and though she was pregnant her mood was never sour. Now, her problems were what to name her baby, where to place the crib, and how to be a good mother. Things really had changed since Alexis' return from France.

"What you thinking about Lexi?" Tonks questioned.

"What? What do you mean?" Lexi replied, pulling out of her thoughts.

"Come on cuz, that thinking face you make is even more obvious than my pink hair."

"That's odd. I don't recall my thinking face being that obnoxious," Alexis laughed.

"Jerk," Tonks retorted.

"So, do you want to know what I was thinking about?"

"Well we're closer than sisters so yea."

"I was thinking about how ever since my return from France, a whole lot of things had changed," she replied in a soft, sentimental voice.

"Yeah. You stopped throwing random French phrases into your speech," Tonks laughed.

"Why don't you try being fluent in two language," Alexis retorted.

"So what really changed then?" Tonks wondered.

"Well you for one."

"Me?" Tonks asked, laughing as she pulled herself up, sitting with her legs crossed and leaning on the back of the chair facing her cousin.

"When I first got back, frankly you were quite a drear. Your hair was a forced color of pink and you weren't happy at all. But now—now instead of being engaged to Rosier you're happily together with Remus. Instead of being worried and scared about your pregnancy, you're smiling while debating what you should name your child. A lot of things have changed."

"And don't forget Sirius," Tonks added and Alexis smiled and nodded. "We never expected we'd see him again. And when you first returned, you never expected you'd reconcile with Deacon Stronghold either," she smiled.

"I expected to see Deacon again," Alexis added dryly.

"But you didn't expect to get back together with him."

"Psh. I didn't even expect to maintain a proper conversation with him. Before I left, every time we talked we ended up screaming in each others' faces," she scoffed.

"See?" Tonks replied and shifted slightly in her position.

"I see more changes with you though. And I'm glad to have my cousin back, my entirely colorful, clumsy, reckless and brilliant but sometimes dimwitted cousin."

"And I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I'm glad you're back home," Tonks smiled. "You and even your backward compliments."

"They're not backward compliments. I'm just stating the truth and you just happen to be a very backward person."

"My point exactly," Tonks sighed. "But Lexi, thank you. I never really thanked you properly for all the things you've done for me…"

Tonks was about to go on but Alexis cut her off. "Don't thank me. I'm your cousin am I not? I believe it's my duty as your cousin to help you out whenever you need it," she smiled.

The two girls continued to sit together and talked, talking about anything and everything like the way they used to ever since they were little girls sharing the same bedroom at Andromeda's house. Tonks laughed when Alexis conjured up a bottle of brandy and a wine glass, pouring herself a generous amount and swishing it around, a small habit of hers—playing with her food and drinks. Tonks shook her head and pouted when she asked for some and was given a glass of milk instead of a glass of brandy like she'd hoped for. No matter, their conversations continued with no end, talking until the moon was so high in the night sky.

* * *

><p>Sitting in the library, Remus was enjoying the silence as he read an old book he found in Alexis' collection of books. There was a small fire blazing under the chimney and the soft sound of crackling wood could be heard in the dead silence of the room. The comforting, musky smell of books surrounded him and Remus smiled at the tranquility as he turned a page in his long, hard covered classic novel from a muggle collection of literature. The door suddenly opened but he didn't look up from his reading. Instead, judging by the uneven and ungraceful but heavy footsteps he heard from the person entering, he knew it had to be Sirius.<p>

"Came to kill my peace Padfoot?" Remus teased as his eyes continued reading.

"You could put it like that. Or you could say I'm an old friend looking for someone to talk to. My two little cousins are having a sweet little bonding time downstairs and no matter how obnoxious I am, I can't bear to jump in and interfere," Sirius smirked. Remus didn't see it but he knew the Marauder too well.

"Nymphadora and Alexis deserve some time to just sit back and talk," Remus smiled. "They both have been too busy with various matters lately."

"So do you think that _we_ could sit down and talk? After all, the two remaining Marauders haven't had time to simply talk and tease each other in a while," Sirius smiled, dropping down in the armchair in front of Remus.

He looked up from his book, closed it, and quietly set it to the side as he gave his friend a very Moony-like smile. "Of course Padfoot. If you don't mind, I'd like to pick the topic of our conversation," Remus suggested.

Sirius laughed and nodded as he took a long swish from the half full bottle of firewhiskey in his hand. His cheeks were blushing red, but Sirius didn't look hopelessly drunk like he'd always looked before. In fact, that night no matter how much whiskey he drank, he still didn't turn depressed like before. He was still smiling, laughing and goofing around like an idiot.

"What do you want the topic of conversation to be my old friend?"

"You're going to enjoy this Padfoot," Remus smiled. "I'm going to need help tricking Nymphadora into agreeing to something," Remus smirked. Sirius brightened when he saw that old Marauder smirk of mischief on his friend's face again. He'd missed that smirk and it had been forever since he'd last seen it in full glory on Remus' gentle face.

"And what would we be tricking my little cousin into agreeing to my friend?"

"Remember that time Prongs told us about his brilliant plan to use on Lily during Valentine's day?" Remus asked.

Sirius nearly jumped up in his seat with glee. "No. You're not really…"

"Yes I am," Remus smiled.

His smile was too wide for his face and his happiness was uncontainable. "But mate, Valentine's day is still months away. We haven't even gotten to Christmas yet."

"But the plan Prongs came up with will take months to plan. And the last time we were at St. Mungo's, the nurse said that Nymphadora will most likely give birth around mid-February, meaning around Valentine's day. So we'll need to plan it out even more carefully."

"Merlin Moony," Sirius sighed. "We're really going to do this. We finally get to pull out this plan!" he practically squealed as his memories reminded him clearly of the brilliant plan that James Potter had came up with in seventh year to get Lily Potter to agree on something with him.

"Also, we're going to need a little bit more time to work this out," Remus smirked. "Because if you recalled correctly, Prongs' plan required the four of us. But now there are only two of us…and someone's going to have to play Peter's role since it's the crucial part in the plan. It most definitely can't be me, because I'm needed for something else in the plan," he winked at Sirius and laughed when a look of despair crossed Sirius' face.

"You're kidding. I made that part up just to mess with Wormtail."

"And it turned out to be a crucial part of the plan," Remus smiled.

Sirius made a contemplative face for a moment. His eyes shifted quickly between Remus and the ground as he scratched his chin, wondering if it was worth the embarrassment. "Alright, but only because you're Moony and she's Tonks."

"Thank you Padfoot," Remus grinned.

"We're going to need another hand at this. Three people could pull off this plan magnificently and I think I know another candidate who could help. You wouldn't mind if Lexi found out about Prongs' plan would you?"

"Of course not," Remus smiled, his heart beginning to beat faster as he thought about the brilliant, odd, but special plan that had almost worked once, if James Potter hadn't chickened out at the last minute of the night.

"Good. Oh this is going to be great," Sirius chuckled. A smirk spread across Sirius' face, a smirk of a Marauder with a brilliant idea. He'd thought that smirk would never appear again, but there he was, sitting with a fellow Marauder, both sharing identical smirks. "Alright. We need to work out every single detail and make sure that this works. And no chickening out or you're going to have a very angry cousin Padfoot's fist in your face," Sirius spoke and beckoned Remus closer as they went over the details of the plan.

Remus leaned closer to Sirius, both with nearly forgotten Marauder smirks of mischief on their faces. They were the only two Marauders left, and after everything had finally had its ending, he thought it was time for some well missed Marauder magic, even if it would risk utter embarrassment for life. It felt right and it was worth it. Sirius was grinning brighter now, and Remus found himself smiling as well.

* * *

><p>On exactly the middle of December, Tonks found herself wearing muggle clothes, standing beside a very muggle-ly dressed Remus, in the middle of a busy muggle street, surrounded by muggles who were Christmas shopping at the near last minute. The streets were decorated with bright, beautiful lights and though they didn't move like the lights in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade did, they were still beautiful nonetheless. The snow was falling lightly, landing on their shoulders and disappearing within minutes as more fluffy white snow fell from the black night sky. Tonks and Remus walked with their arms linked, laughing and talking. Tonks had agreed to accompany him on a shopping trip, for reasons she didn't understand why. He wasn't buying Christmas presents. He was buying the oddest things ever.<p>

"Where are we going next?" Tonks asked as they walked out of a muggle café. She was wearing a light violet overcoat with heavily patched jeans, a lime green scarf, with a light blue paperboy hat over her brilliant bubblegum pink hair, all while holding onto a steaming paper cup of coffee from the muggle café. Tonks looked beautiful, even if her growing baby bump made her look three times bigger than normal.

"We have to go to the arts and craft store," Remus spoke, thinking about the list of things he had to buy in his mind so that he could properly pull off one of James Potter's most brilliant and useful plans of all time.

Remus laughed warmly at her bemused gaze, his chest vibrating with his laughter. He wore a shabby but comfortable threadbare overcoat and matching trousers while his head was left bare and his light brown hair with very little grey was dusted by a soft layer of snow.

"Why are we going to the arts and craft store?" Tonks wondered. Remus had been acting really weird for the past few days. He wasn't acting in the kind of weird that she should be worried about. To Tonks, his weird made it seem as if he was _up to something_.

He smiled. He didn't have to lie to her. The plan was frankly so obnoxious that even if he told her the basis of it, she wouldn't figure out what was happening until it really did. "To buy feathers and glue of course," Remus replied with a wide grin as if it was the most obvious and normal thing to ever buy.

She laughed, walking with him anyways. "Feathers and glue?" She knew what feathers are of course. And though glue wasn't something witches and wizards use often, because her dad was a muggle, Tonks knew that it was that kind of sticky paste like thing that stuck stuff together. "Remus are you all right?" she laughed.

"I am perfectly fine. Why do you ask?" Remus replied mirthfully, thinking about the beautiful little plan they came up when they were foolish teenagers. James Potter had tried it on Lily and it would have possibly worked down to every detail had he had the courage to speak with her once the time came. Back then Remus simply helped him and stood at the side watching with a smile, wondering if he could ever do something like that for his lover. Back then he never thought he'd have the chance. But now, there Remus Lupin was, walking in the streets gathering supplies to carry out James Potter's brilliant plan, on Nymphadora Tonks, his lover.

"You've been acting a little odd lately Remus," Tonks smiled. "It's not bad, but I have a feeling you're up to something."

Remus continued to keep his smile on though he had to admit that Nymphadora knew him too well. "I'm a Marauder remember? I'm always up to something apparently."

"Hmm, I don't know Remus. This feels different to me," Tonks told him. Her eyes were wandering the streets as she spoke with him and once they fell on the couple sitting in a coffee store, visible through the large window, Tonks' eyes lit up. "Bloody hell look! That's Deacon and Lexi!" Tonks smiled, pointing at them from across the street.

He chuckled and followed where Tonks' finger was pointing at to a coffee store window. Inside he saw Alexis and Deacon, both sitting at a couple's booth each with a steaming cup of coffee in front of them and smiles dancing on their faces. They were talking, simply talking with mirth and glee. He smiled, feeling that the world was a brighter place somehow. Remus' grip around Tonks tightened a bit, warmly, and he held her closer, feeling her warmth.

"They look happy. Let's not interrupt them," Remus smiled.

"Wouldn't plan on it," Tonks replied. "I mean finally. They were on the in between line for so long I was about to go crazy," Tonks stressed. "Eve, Sirius and I were all wondering: are they dating or are they just friends?" she continued to ramble, but Remus never minded that. In fact he rather enjoys hearing her ramble because she somehow always made him smile with every single little thing that she does.

"I understand. It had been pretty confusing," Remus smiled and they continued walking.

"Alright, so where is the arts and craft store?" Tonks wondered, taking his hand and charging straight ahead.

"This way love," Remus told her and gently turned her to make a left.

An unexpected shower of rain and snow came and the couple looked up at it with smiling, surprised faces. Remus quickly searched for some place to stand with Tonks, not wanting her to catch a cold from the mixture of rain and snow. He took her hand in his, feeling the warmth of her soft fingers in his hold. They walked a little further, looking for cover.

"Here, we can fit in the telephone booth," Remus spoke as he pulled her inside, giving Tonks as much room as possible.

"This looks an awful lot like the one they used as the visitor's entrance for the Ministry of Magic," Tonks mused, looking closely at the phone hanging on the side of the booth.

Remus chuckled and held her hands. The temperature inside the telephone booth suddenly seemed to have gone up higher. He was beginning to feel the heat under his shabby, threadbare overcoat, and Tonks' cheeks were flushing bright red under the yellow light inside the booth on the top of the ceiling.

His body was pressed against hers, standing very close in a crimson red telephone booth as they watched the rain and snow mix and fall gently together. He joined Tonks and pressed his face on the window beside her, looking out to see the damp street being filled with more water that came from the falling snow.

When Remus turned back to face her, he realized just how close their faces were as well. Looking into her alluring eyes, Remus felt himself wanting to get closer to her, as close as humanly possible. Tonks' eyes fell on his, meeting his soft, light blue eyes that always made her heart dance like a glowing fire.

Though their bodies were close, there was still a few inches between their faces. Remus felt his body heat rise and Tonks' did as well. He leaned in a little bit closer, closing the distance between them slowly until their lips touched and there were no longer any distance. His eyes were closed as he kissed her, savoring the moment for as long as possible. Her lips were soft and moist and she tasted like a faint hue of milk, perhaps from having drank so much lately. To Tonks, Remus' lips tasted like chocolate like it always did—sweet milk chocolate from Honeydukes', his favorite kind and her favorite as well. Their kiss was warm and gentle but lacking no passionate fire. They were ardent with it and their hands trailed. Tonks' hands came up to his face, getting her fingers laced in his hair. Remus' hands came down, slipping a little bit just under her coat and t-shirt inside to feel her soft pale skin and feel the beating life in her pregnant belly. His other hand pulled her closer.

And there they were, kissing in a little red telephone booth while the soft rain stopped and fluffy white snow fell around them and the night was lit up by colorful holiday lights. It was a moment so common but so unforgettable and it was then that everything felt right and they were whole again.


	13. Insight on Everyday Love

**Author's Note:**

Finally I got an update for this story! Oh and to all my readers who read my "Prisoner of the Moon" fan fiction, I've deleted it, sorry. But it's just that I'm not really feeling the plot I had going, and seven chapters in I realized I wouldn't be able to change it without making major changes to the other chapters, and I didn't want to confuse you guys. So sorry about that. When I have a good plot for it I will post it up again, a better one hopefully, and with less spelling and grammar mistakes too! Anyways, thanks for bearing with me and I'm sorry for the trouble err confusion err annoyance err whatever.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13 – Insight on the Everyday Love<strong>

Her eyes were distracted by the soft snow that continued to fall outside. The sun was setting and different from all the other sunsets she remembered. That sunset was white, not a shade of vermillion. The sun was setting on a white, shining blanket of ice and snow. The brightness was almost blinding, but it wasn't brighter than her vivid bubblegum pink hair that seemed to be almost glowing under the lights.

"Dora, careful with the china," Remus' gentle voice reminded her.

Tonks glanced down at the slippery china plate in her hand and quickly rinsed the soap off of it, passing it over to Remus and smiled at him. "Thanks love. Lexi would've killed me."

"I think it would be Andromeda who would have a problem. This is her plate. She brought tonight's roast chicken over on it," Remus told her and chuckled as she smiled, her eyes practically saying the word _oops_.

"Mum's scarier than Lexi. I'll be doomed," Tonks laughed as she rinsed the soap off another plate and handed it over to Remus who quickly dried and put it away. They stood together doing dishes the muggle way. It took much longer and much more effort than simply using a cleaning charm and be done with it, but somehow they both enjoyed the process of doing something so simple and homely together.

That night was a night very close to Christmas. It was also one of those nights where they would have people over, people who are closest to them. Andromeda and Ted had come over to help talk with Tonks. Andromeda would give her daughter many pointers on this and that in the house while Ted would give her a reassuring smile while he teased Alexis and Sirius to no end about everything they did. Tonks and Remus were luckily spared because they were new parents. Evelyn had joined them a bit later in, coming as an invitation from Sirius. Tonks and Remus were both happy. Sirius and Evelyn only admitted they were friends again, but the werewolf and metamorphmagus couple could see something else travelling through the air.

"Merlin Uncle Ted! I'm only in my twenties!" Alexis yelled as she tried to run away from Tonks' father. Her tone, to others, could be mistook for one of her being annoyed, but to people of the family, they knew her too well and knew that she was just getting embarrassed.

"And that's exactly what I'm worried about!" Ted Tonks countered teasingly in a mellow voice. "You're in your early twenties and all you do is work and then go home!"

"Not to mention your favorite hobbies are reading and drinking," Sirius added. Evelyn's soft laughter could be heard in the background and even without turning around, Tonks and Remus knew that Sirius must have made one of his rather odd and amusing expressions.

"Alexis! You still drink?" Andromeda asked in a motherly voice, having raised her niece.

"Padfoot you arse!" Alexis retorted, perhaps trying to run from the whole house by then.

Remus and Tonks faced each other, suppressing their soft laughs. Remus had a mirthful look on his face with his lopsided grin and a slight hue of the noble wolf inside of him. Tonks' smile was both young and mature as her pink hair and lucid green eyes glowed along with her brilliant smile. They looked at each other and laughed as if in their own little world.

When they finished, Tonks patted her hands dry on the hand towel that Remus held out for her. She then looked down and rubbed her pregnant belly, smiling warmly as she looked up at Remus and then turned to see her family, laughing. Evelyn and Sirius were discussing something, looking like they were planning a prank. Tonks shook her head and smiled while Remus sighed, seeing that Sirius was back entirely. Andromeda was seated on the armchair in the living room, but she didn't sit with the usual stiffness that she always portrayed. Rather, she leaned casually back and even laughed when Ted cracked jokes about Alexis. Tonks' smile brightened significantly and Remus wrapped his arms around her body, placing both his warm palms on her stomach and feeling the life form inside.

"Shouldn't we be joining them?" Tonks asked. "They all look like they're having so much fun teasing each other," she sighed.

"Yes, but you are pregnant and Padfoot plays rough with pranks," he reminded.

"Oh yes. I learned the hard way that Marauders are rough and messy pranksters," she sighed and rolled her eyes, remembering the small prank war they had while debating a name for the baby girl. Still they haven't settled on a name or a winner, but Tonks did learn that everyone she knew were adept at playing pranks, and that Marauders were very messy pranksters.

"And besides, I think Lexi would just about explode if we joined in and teased her," Remus smiled though he knew as well as Tonks that Alexis was currently back to fancying an ex-flame of hers by the name of Deacon Stronghold and said ex-flame was the younger brother of Evelyn, the woman with curly brown hair in the room laughing beside Sirius.

"That is true," Tonks smiled. She took a moment to think and realized that the life she was living was unbelievable. She saw no problems she couldn't handle, and she saw no obstacles she couldn't pass. Her confidence had built up and her faith had been rekindled with Remus in her life. "So what do you want to do now?"

It took Remus a short while to answer and Tonks noticed that his gentle blue eyes were on Sirius and Evelyn. "I don't know. I think Padfoot and Evelyn are well on their way back to how they used to be before he went to Azkaban though. So there's nothing we can really do there. As for Alexis…"

Tonks laughed. "Always the selfless one Remus," she smiled. "I didn't mean what we should do about my cousins. I meant, what you want to do now that we're done with the dishes," she told him. A light smile was always played across her lips as they'd reached the comfort and doting state of their different relationship but still beautiful nonetheless.

"Oh," Remus chuckled. "I don't know either," he smiled.

She made a face and leaned back into his arms, turning to face her cousin and family. Sirius acted differently around Evelyn, and Tonks and Remus knew better than anyone that it's the effects of being under a love spell. He smiled a lot more often lately and he always mentioned Evelyn sooner or later in a conversation. Whenever he was around her, they noticed that the man practically glowed. Tonks sighed and wondered what Sirius was like in love. She knew he always teased her and Remus for being too lovey-dovey, but looking at how he and Evelyn acts, she had a feeling that the two would be even worse.

"I wonder what Sirius is like in love." Tonks voiced her thoughts aloud.

"Do you really want to know?" Remus asked slyly and smiled.

She turned to see that Marauder smirk of his and a mischievous smirk of her own appeared. "Can I know?"

"I just happen to have a few of Padfoot's pictures saved in my stash of memories. You can look at them if you really want to know," he spoke in a low and sly voice.

"A few? As in how many?"

"A few…maybe a few stacks…Padfoot had always been a photogenic soul."

"Show me," Tonks smirked and leaned up to place a quick but firm kiss upon his lips. Remus took her hand and they quickly excused themselves from the rowdy and energetic post-dinner party. Hand in hand, they headed upstairs where Remus led her into his room and searched for what he described to be a chest of memories that he'd kept all the way from his early Hogwarts years. Tonks was eager to know. Though she'd known the Marauders since small, she had a feeling the things Remus kept in his chest were also ones she didn't know. She smiled when he found it and was eager to see Remus, Sirius, and James back then, and especially how exactly Sirius was in love.

* * *

><p><em>Summer 1973<em>

Three boys stood at the train station in Hogsmeade with the scarlet red train, The Hogwarts Express, behind them, still steaming with many people getting off. They had their arms around each other and each wore a grin of pure mischief on their faces. A shy looking boy with light brown hair and a pale scarred face stood in the middle, a book in his hand while smiling at his best friends, not at the camera. Beside him was a boy with black, unruly messy hair and glasses, talking merrily with another boy with raven black hair, curly, and a darkly handsome face.

"What is Sirius doing?" Tonks laughed, looking at the odd face her cousin was making at Remus inside the old, sepia toned photograph.

"To be honest, I have no idea," Remus smiled. "He always makes funny faces at me. Sometimes I think he's mocking me, but who knows," he chuckled and they continued to sort through the pile of photographs Remus had. Tonks had decided she'd follow him through a short trip down memory lane, wanting to know more about Remus and Sirius as well.

* * *

><p><em>Autumn 1973<em>

The background in the picture was obviously the King's Cross station, but before they had gotten onto Platform 9 ¾. A boy with longer and fluffier curly raven black hair stood beside the boy with light brown hair and a more scared and paler face. They were both smiling and sticking their thumbs up, standing beside their large trunks, one being all black and completely elegant, while the other was leather brown and shabby. They seemed to be laughing about something and soon two more girls walked into the picture. One girl was pretty and had dirty blonde hair while the other was a beautiful red head. The girls glanced at them. The dirty blonde flashed the boys and charming and seductive smile while the red headed girl only smiled at Remus and turned away when her eyes fell on Sirius.

"That's Padfoot's ex Linda," Remus pointed out the dirty blonde girl. "They dated for two weeks after this picture. And that's Lily Evans. She never really did like Padfoot."

"Padfoot always told me he was a player. Lexi and I never believed him," Tonks told Remus. "We always thought he was too immature for girls."

"Lily thought so," Remus laughed. "She would always yell at him. But Padfoot was really quite smooth with all the girls he dated."

"Were you smooth?" Tonks asked teasingly as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Remus laughed nervously and flipped the picture. He blushed and Tonks laughed as well, planting a tender kiss on his cheek as she shifted comfortably into the crook of his arm.

* * *

><p><em>December 1974<em>

Sirius was on the floor, staring up at the ceiling with his hand over his face as if he'd just face-palmed himself. Remus stood beside him with a closed book in his hand, staring at the ceiling as well and shaking his head. James Potter was on the ground beside Sirius, his face hidden in his hands as his feet were kicking. He looked like he was having a very hysterical laugh. The three boys seemed to be staring up at something on the ceiling, something that didn't look too good for Sirius.

"Peter took this picture," Remus sighed and Tonks then realized it was probably the reason why the angle was lopsided.

"What are you all staring at?" she asked quickly, hopefully pulling his mind away from Peter, his onetime best friend turned traitor.

"Another ex-girlfriend of Padfoot," Remus smirked. "Amanda. She accidentally stepped into one of Padfoot and Prongs' traps planned for Severus Snape, and she ended up hanging upside-down on the ceiling. She was cursing at Padfoot while this photo was taken."

"I thought you said Padfoot was smooth with the ladies," Tonks teased.

"He has his moments," Remus smiled, nodding his head side to side as Tonks flipped over to a new photograph.

* * *

><p><em>Spring 1975<em>

There were Sirius and James in the photo and part of the photo was cut off by the photographer's finger. Sirius was holding hands with a pretty girl with light blonde hair while James looked like he was still trying to get Lily Evans' attention, but still failing. Tonks saw that Sirius had a bouquet of flowers hidden behind his back. Once he presented them to the light blonde girl, she beamed and hugged him tightly as he spun her around.

"Well I guess that's smooth," Tonks commented.

Remus chuckled and nodded in agreement. "I told you Padfoot has his moments."

She smiled. "Who took the picture?" she wondered, eyeing the large thumb or finger.

When a guilty look passed by Remus' face, Tonks immediately noticed. "Um…"

"Love, you're terrible!" Tonks laughed while Remus blushed and tried to hide his face from her, snuggling in the crook of her neck and making her laugh even more. "You're a very bad photographer Remus," she laughed and kissed his head.

* * *

><p><em>Autumn 1976<em>

In the photo there was a young girl with dark, curly brown hair, a very pretty face that perfectly matched the boy with the darkly handsome face beside her. They stood together, hand in hand while smiling back at the camera. The girl, Evelyn, smiled reservedly with a twinkle of amusement and mischief in her dark eyes. Sirius, the boy, smiled triumphantly as he threw his other arm around James' neck and leaned in to whisper something to Remus who stood casually in between with a book in his hand and his eyes scanning the pages.

"In this photo, Sirius just got together with Evelyn with James and my help," Remus smiled as he handed Tonks the old photograph. "She was the first girl Sirius ever had trouble wooing," he chuckled softly.

"Wow," Tonks spoke, looking at all of them from their younger days, where their faces still had that childish grin and innocent twinkle. "Was Eve like Lily Evans?"

"Not exactly…she was more tolerable of Sirius' idiocy and she rather secretly enjoyed it to my knowledge," Remus smirked.

"Eve's always been a free spirit," Tonks sighed. "That's probably why she can match Sirius so well. You honestly haven't seen her in one of her random good moods," Tonks laughed, remembering those random days in the auror office where Eve would be brighter than the shining morning sun. "I wonder how well they matched that pulled their relationship out this long. I don't ever recall hearing Eve with a bloke, ever."

"I think it's because she felt that Sirius loved her just as much too," Remus told her. "Believe it or not, thirteen years ago, Sirius Black was ready to settle down with Evelyn."

Tonks grinned. "And thirteen years later, they're well on their way back to how they used to be." Even Remus couldn't deny that Sirius and Evelyn have been rebuilding their relationship at a shockingly fast pace, but everything was honest and truthful this second time around. "It appears—that Remus John Lupin was the latest one out of all his friends to be ready for a settled life," Tonks commented, giving him a faux glare.

He hid his face again and laughed softly. "I was waiting for someone like you," he replied softly but Tonks sensed a nearly unseen air of honesty in his voice.

"Don't flatter me," she teased and briefly met his lip with hers as they blindly switched to a different picture on the pile of photographs Remus had saved.

* * *

><p><em>Summer 1997<em>

It was a picture of a summer day by the pond. The sun was high in the sky and three boys laid underneath a large oak tree, resting in the shade. Sirius was scribbling a quick letter with the parchment and a quill in his hand. His brows were furrowed together as he had a troubled expression on his face. James laid peacefully to the left of Sirius, seemingly asleep with his hands behind his head and his glasses set askew. Remus was to Sirius' right, a book in his one hand and a half-eaten bar of chocolate in his other while his eyes read the page.

"This picture was taken right after Sirius' first break up with Evelyn. We told you about it, didn't we?" Remus asked and Tonks nodded. "And what we didn't tell you was that they made up soon after the school year started and were together until that night," Remus told her as the image in the picture continued to move.

"What did they break up for?" Tonks wondered curiously about her cousin.

"None of us really understood the reason. Sirius said that Eve said he was too careless and he never told her about our pranks. I guess some teenage trust issues?"

Tonks nodded. "It's not 'teenage' anymore," she smirked and Remus followed.

Suddenly, a girl with bright, bubblegum pink hair trotted up to them with a bright smile on her innocent face. The three boys got up immediately and beamed with her presence. Sirius' previous frustration was set aside. James' tiredness was gone from his eyes. And Remus was even kind enough to offer her the rest of his chocolate which no little girl passed up.

"Oh Merlin's beard, how did you get a picture of me?" Tonks laughed, embarrassed.

"Your parents took it," Remus smiled. "Andromeda handed it to Sirius and Sirius gave it to me for safe keeping, saying he'd lose everything by the third day."

"Shite, this is so embarrassing," Tonks laughed, hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

"It's not embarrassing. You look adorable Dora," Remus grinned cheekily.

"Easy for you to say," she scoffed. "You never showed your baby picture to anyone."

A small smile fell on his face as he sighed and rolled his eyes at her. "Don't laugh at me," he told her and suddenly he handed her a small photograph, folded into fours, of a baby boy with light brown hair, a chubby little face with an intoxicatingly adorable smile and bright blue eyes that were so innocent and pure they were more lovely than the waters in the beautiful ocean.

"Can I squeal at how completely adorable you are?" Tonks asked eagerly.

Remus chuckled. "Be my guest," he told her kindly as his arms tightened slightly around her waist and his chin rested on her shoulder.

He could hear her squeal. It was a high pitched sound that would have shocked him had he hadn't expected it. She then continued to ramble on about how much of a cute baby he was. Though she was rambling, Remus didn't mind. In fact, it was one of the million things he loves about her. He sat contently, watching her with an inerasable smile on his still charming face.

* * *

><p>When Remus and Tonks returned downstairs, they realized that the small party still wasn't over. Sirius was half buried in a large cardboard box, seeming to be mumbling something to Evelyn who sat beside him. They were taking out Christmas decorations as Tonks saw Evelyn holding a stream of silver tinsel. Alexis was kneeling beside the fire, poking at it with a metal rod while Tonks' father Ted was teasing about Alexis possibly setting it on fire. Andromeda simply sat to the side but her stiffness was gone entirely and she had a warm smile on her face.<p>

"Ah, the lovebirds have finally decided to join us," Sirius commented, sticking his head up to smile at them. He had ornaments slung on his ears and golden tinsel around his neck.

"And you're one to talk Padfoot," Tonks scoffed and walked over with Remus, carefully taking a seat on the leather sofa.

"What's that cuz?" Sirius retorted.

"Nothing," Tonks smiled and her eyes flashed over to Evelyn who still sat smiling.

"Well since you're down here doing absolutely nothing productive Moony, why not join us in putting up Christmas decorations?" Sirius suggested while holding up many ornaments with both hands. "After all we've only got two days left until Christmas."

"A little late this year," Remus sighed and crawled on his knees over to Sirius.

"Come to think of it, I haven't put up Christmas decorations in such a long time. Lexi I didn't even know we had Christmas decorations," Tonks spoke while sitting up from the sofa with Andromeda's help.

"Obviously you don't pay attention to the things I keep in the attic," Alexis replied and got up to summon over another cardboard box.

"We haven't put up Christmas decorations in a while too Ted," said Andromeda.

"Yes, not since Dora and Lexi were kids," Ted replied as he got up and helped open the cardboard box Alexis had set down in front of him. "What do you say we help them put it up?"

Without speaking, Tonks turned to her mother and smiled. She hadn't put up Christmas decorations with her mother ever since she was a child. They'd stopped, thinking it was all childish nonsense when Tonks turned fifteen. But now that she was bearing her own child, for some reason she felt that the simple family moment was greatly appreciated.

"Alright get to it everyone," Sirius ordered merrily. "Eve, you sort out the ornaments with Andromeda. Ted, you and Remus put up the tree. Lexi, you put up the tinsel and ribbons. Tonks…try not to break anything," he smiled.

"Is this my house or yours?" Alexis laughed as she grabbed an armful of colorful tinsel.

"Yours, but I'm just helping out by giving orders," Sirius replied merrily.

"And what are you going to do?" Eve asked, pulling the ornaments off his ears and hair.

"I'm going to do what I do best," he replied as-a-matter-of-factly while stroking his moustache and trimmed beard. "I am going to sit here, drink some of Lexi's rum, and try not to break anything as well," he smirked, turning on his darkly handsome charm on Eve.

She saw that Sirius and Eve seem to be having a moment and didn't want to intrude. Tonks got up from where she sat and carefully making her way over to Remus, maneuvering around the obstacle course or Christmas decorations that Sirius had put up. Remus was helping her dad set up the tree and she smiled at both men, sitting down on the ground beside them with help from Remus. Tonks parted her lips about to speak, but her father suddenly flashed her a smile and got up, giving her and Remus their own time as well while he joined her mother who was talking with Alexis about something, both women speaking with their hands and moving their hands back and forth.

"It's our first Christmas together," Remus spoke softly as he assembled the fake tree.

"And after Christmas and New Year, we have a baby to look forward to," Tonks spoke and smiled softly as Remus placed a hand over her large baby bump. They smiled to themselves at first and then shifted their gazes to each other. Tonks' smile had matured so much from a young girl who couldn't decide on which color to settle her hair, into a brilliant auror with equally vivid hair. Remus' smile now showed traces of the happiness within him and ever since Tonks saw the picture of him as a child, grinning happily, she no longer saw traces of the wolf in him, but rather traces of a wonderful and innocent boy with chubby cheeks and a blinding smile with bright blue eyes. He'd never looked happier to her.


	14. Cold Snow Suddenly Felt Warm

**Chapter 14 – Cold Snow Suddenly Felt Warm**

Christmas Eve and the snow outside looked like a vast and endless blanket of white crystals. The moon was up but it wasn't full to many hearts' delight. That night seemed warmer than most however, but maybe it was because of the warmth from inside the house. The soft fire was blazing under the chimney and the large house in the middle of nowhere in England glowed with a familiar happiness that they'd grown accustomed to.

A pink haired young woman was seated on the floor beside the Christmas tree, trying to peek through and guess the presents like a little girl. Her lover was beside her with neat light brown hair and a warm smile on his scarred but charming face. They poked and peeked at presents together, one hand on the woman's pregnant stomach.

In the kitchen was another couple, married for years and living happier than ever around their loved ones. They were happily bickering and teasing each other about the food they made. A kind looking man with a large belly, fair hair and a mellow voice laughed at his wife and massaged her shoulders. The woman had a beautiful face with a soft patrician beauty much like the rest of her family, and she'd managed a smile for her husband.

There were two others in the house, both at the window side trying to hold a grey owl down while they quickly scrawled their individual letters down on the new parchment to send. The man was lanky with curly black hair and prison tattoos all over his body. He laughed mirthfully while trying to read the _love letter_ his cousin was writing. The young woman with straight black hair and blonde highlights playfully hit him while tying the letter to the owl's leg.

"Oi, are you sure this owl will be a nice one?" Sirius asked, tying his letter.

"What do you mean Padfoot?" Alexis asked, confused.

"I mean will this owl bite my godson," he replied. "The last one you gave me, the black one, bit Harry's finger! The poor kid," he told her while eyeing her suspiciously.

"Eh, who knows," Lexi shrugged, feigning indifference. "I forgot to feed the last one."

"Owl abuser," Sirius scoffed as he sent the grey owl off into the night.

"Cousin abuser." Alexis retorted and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ruddy git," Sirius countered.

"Sirius Black, watch your language," Andromeda Tonks suddenly scolded from the kitchen and the room burst with laughter.

"But…but," Sirius stuttered, pointing to Alexis innocently.

"You're the older one here Padfoot," Tonks laughed, her pink hair glowing under the light of the warm fire close to her.

"I thought we're past name calling when we hit our thirties Padfoot," Remus laughed in.

"Moony! Why you lousy, no good prat," Sirius replied teasingly. "Now you're teaming up with my cousins against me? You're just a lousy best friend."

"Even though I'm your best friend, I never said I'd defend you," Remus smirked.

"Why is the world against Sirius?" Sirius sighed and shook his head.

"Because you're Sirius Black, that's what," Ted Tonks laughed in a mellow voice.

"Yes, and Sirius Black had better behave tonight or he'll be sent back to Azkaban," Alexis warned with a sudden edge in her voice.

"What do you mean Lexi? I always behave."

"Deacon's coming over," she told them, an announcement obviously no one else but she knew. "Evelyn asked if Deacon could come and it's not like I could say no."

Sirius' face paled significantly. He knew Evelyn trusted him and wouldn't turn him in, but her younger brother was an entirely different story. As Sirius recalled, Deacon was very strict on the rules and regulations, and it would take a miracle to convince the bloke not to turn Sirius in. Besides, who was Sirius to him?

"Merlin's beard! I am _not_ eating Christmas Eve dinner as a dog."

"It wasn't my decision. You try saying no to Evelyn Stronghold."

He was about to reply but he couldn't. Alexis was right. Saying no to Evelyn was like a death wish. Either that or she'd somehow end up pushing you into agreeing with her. Sirius was convinced that was part of the reason why he liked her so much. She had this very convincing charm to her.

"Padfoot, guess you're eating dinner as a dog now," Tonks sighed indifferently.

"Don't you care?" Sirius retorted. "You're my cousin, you should care!" he replied and gripped his heart dramatically.

"I should but I don't," Tonks replied teasingly and smiled at him.

"Come on Padfoot, it'll be fine," Remus told him.

"Look Moony, if you don't help me on this one, I am going to spill out the magnificent plan of James Potter and you…"

"Alright alright," Remus spoke, cutting Sirius off before he said anything unnecessary that Remus wanted to keep as a surprise for Tonks.

"Looks like Padfoot's got an edge on you there Moony," Lexi smirked. She'd been told of the plan and had agreed to help and Remus could only thank her that she didn't use the surprise against him like Sirius was.

"What's James' plan?" Tonks wondered.

"Nothing," the three others replied instantly, surprising the young woman quite a bit.

Remus smiled and his voice grew softer. "It's nothing Dora, just another stupid thing of Sirius'," he smiled, ignoring the "hey!" from Sirius. "Anyways, how about we have another dinner afterwards when Deacon's gone, for you?" he suggested to his old friend.

Sirius was scratching his chin contemplatively and then finally sighed and said, "I guess."

* * *

><p>When the doorbell rang, Sirius' loud groan echoed through the house as he transformed into his animagus form, giving Alexis a dark glare as if blaming every wrong of the world on her. His cousin simply smiled at him while Andromeda and Ted got out of the kitchen. Alexis then nodded her thanks to Remus and Tonks who had gotten up to open the door together.<p>

"Evening Remus, hello Tonks," Deacon smiled to the loving couple as he entered.

"Hello lovebirds," Evelyn grinned and walked past Tonks.

The pink haired woman turned to her lover and flashed him a fleeting but brilliant smile as she turned back to her guests and family. "Wotcher Deacon, Eve," she grinned, her hand subconsciously placed protectively over her belly.

Remus and Tonks were hand in hand walking in behind Deacon and Evelyn. Tonks smiled when she saw Deacon's hand subtly link with Alexis' and the two seemed to be shying away from the spotlight in the room. Her smile also brightened when she saw the look in Snuffle's eyes glow at the sight of Evelyn.

After the greetings were exchanged, they all quickly gathered themselves at the glass dining table that had been magically enlarged to not only seat the eight people, four couples there, but also the great amount of food that Andromeda and Alexis had prepared. Tonks sat happily with Remus at her side, conversing with her mother about what to expect while raising a child, especially a girl who could take a lot after clumsy, silly, troublemaking Tonks. The entire time there was an identical smile on both their faces. Tonks and Andromeda hadn't been able to see eye-to-eye ever before, and they were finally able to now, just when Nymphadora Tonks was reaching a new stage in her life.

Once all the chairs were in, Sirius couldn't stay away and even in his animagus form. He bounced up towards them, his holiday cheer returning and he barked happily as Evelyn pulled out a chair for him beside her on the table.

Tonks had been laughing at one of Remus' subtle jokes while Remus cleverly teased Sirius, seizing the chance since he could not counter any insults back at him as a dog. Andromeda was sighing and shaking her head at Ted who was grinning while teasing his wife about something. Alexis was preparing to scoop food onto her plate, and Evelyn was smiling and greeting Sirius. Then all of their attention was suddenly pulled towards Deacon Stronghold when he smiled easily and said two very simple but unexpected words.

"Hello Sirius."

A brief breath of silence swept by them. Tonks parted her lips first and tried to speak, but no words came out. She only stared at Deacon, a friend of hers, an auror, who had just greeted the large black dog, by his proper name. Normally, if Deacon had figured out the dog was an animagus, Tonks would tease him and be impressed. But the dog was Sirius Black, who until that day still remained an escaped criminal in the eyes of outsiders. And so Tonks' heart swelled with worry, wondering how exactly Deacon found out, and what he was going to do next.

"Say that again," was the only thing Alexis could get out of her mouth.

Tonks' eyes quickly darted around the table to see the stoned expressions on all but two faces. Evelyn continued to pet Sirius as if her younger brother hadn't said anything. And the expression on Deacon Stronghold's face was far from anything threatening that would provoke Tonks to hit him if he wanted to capture Sirius.

"I said 'hello Sirius'", Deacon replied easily as if he'd been saying that his whole life.

"To…our dog?" Tonks mumbled.

"Well his name _is_ Sirius Black, is it not?" Deacon replied and looked at them as if they were the odd ones, not him.

Suddenly, from her right Tonks heard a sound of laughter coming from Evelyn. She turned to see the woman scratch Sirius behind the ear as she calmly shook her head at her little brother. Tonks was really confused then as she wondered what could be going on. Had Evelyn told Deacon about Sirius and had Deacon decided to accept it after all? But then it all seemed so farfetched because who was Sirius to Deacon?

"Deac, they didn't know you've figured it out yet," Evelyn smiled.

"Figured it out?" Tonks replied, her eyes turning back to her mother who looked like a statue, and then to Alexis who looked just as confused as Tonks.

"How did you figure it out?" Alexis asked.

"Well I'm not daft," Deacon smiled. "Alastor Moody _did_ train me to be able to spot animagi with ease…that was one of the lessons you missed Tonks," he smirked as Tonks raised an eyebrow, trying to remember when the old codger had taught them that. "And Eve's been really happy recently. I mean I _am_ her brother and there's only one person in the world that could make her that happy."

Staring back at him, Tonks' face still wore an expression of shock. She knew Deacon was a great auror with a knack for the minor details, but she never thought that just by meeting Snuffles once and seeing how his sister had gotten genuinely happier could've have made him see that Snuffles was actually Sirius Black. Tonks was sure that they'd been very careful about keeping Sirius' identity and refuge in their house a secret from anyone who wasn't direct family.

"So what do you plan on doing now that you know he's Sirius Black?" Remus asked, maintaining a calm voice but with his hand linked with Tonks', she could tell that he was shaking with worry quite subtly.

Deacon sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, looking at them with an unreadable expression. "Nothing I guess. After all, Eve's told me he was framed by his own best friend, Pettigrew, and I trust my sister. Also, I don't think any of my friends here would be too happy if I arrested him," Deacon replied casually as if having a conversation with them about the weather.

"Still, how did you figure it out?" Lexi spoke up, recovering from her initial shock.

The young man with the charming smile laughed and turned to look at her, their eyes connecting. "I told you, I'm not daft."

"So…" Andromeda began with uncertainty.

"I'd say we get back to dinner then now that that problem is out of the way," Ted spoke up with a mellow voice and a kind smile, beckoning them all to begin eating.

Tonks turned to Remus who all but face-palmed himself as he mumbled softly to her. "Alastor's students are very well trained."

"I second that," Tonks replied to him.

Sirius then immediately transformed back into his human form, surprising Evelyn a little bit as she was still petting his back. He stood up tall and proud as he flashed them a Sirius-like grin and greeted Deacon with a wave and a nod.

"So now can I sit down and eat my first Christmas dinner out of prison?" Sirius asked, meeting eyes with the entire table and grinning. "And not as a dog."

Following Remus, Tonks managed a soft laugh as they nodded and Sirius sat down, wandlessly summoning a set of utensils and began scooping food onto his plate as if there was no tomorrow.

After a few moments of recovering from their initial shock, the dinner continued on much better than Tonks had ever hoped for. She would often turn to look into Remus' eyes, reminding herself that she wasn't dreaming and that Remus really was right beside her, holding her hand and trying to steal her food. When Tonks turned away from Remus, her smile was still wide and bright. Her mother was talking happily with the rest of the table, trying to ignore her dad who was teasing them, but to no avail. Alexis looked happy beside Marrick, hand in hand under the glass table. And Sirius was grinning like a fool beside Evelyn. Though their hands weren't intertwined, Tonks thought they might as well be since the two seemed no different than any of the other couples in the dining room.

* * *

><p>When evening turned into night, the sky became pitch black with white, fluffy snow still falling from the unseen heavens above. As Tonks stood looking out the kitchen window, talking and laughing with her cousin Alexis, her mother, and Evelyn, she couldn't pull her eyes away from the scenery outside the window. The bright crescent moon hanging in the dark night sky lit up Alexis' backyard and casted a soft and beautiful milky glow upon the land. Tonks eyes continued to stare outside, taking in the marvel of the white snow falling down and throwing a soft blanket over the backyard. The moon's light reminded her of Remus and she found her eyes wandering over to her lover who sat in the living room beside the fire, involved in an animated conversation with Sirius, Ted, and Deacon. Watching them, Tonks hadn't even noticed it when a soft and thoughtful smile appeared on her face.<p>

"Um, hello," Evelyn's voice came to her mind. "Earth to Tonks."

"Nymphadora," Alexis called.

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Black!" Tonks replied a bit too sharply.

"Wow, sorry," Lexi responded, taking a step back away from Tonks less her pregnant cousin decided to use any wandless or non-verbal magic on her.

"Just don't call me Nymphadora Lexi," Tonks sighed in a softer voice.

"And the pregnancy mood swings, begins," Alexis sighed, stirring a smile from the other three women who stood in the kitchen.

"Say that again Black," she taunted her cousin.

"No need to taunt Dora," Andromeda sighed. "Now what were you staring at out the window," her mom spoke in a soft voice that Tonks hadn't taken time to notice before that.

She sighed. "I was just watching the snow fall. What? Is it so odd to see someone watch the snow fall?" she replied.

"No, it's actually quite adorable," Remus suddenly whispered into her ear and placed a kiss on her neck, quick as lightning. "Sirius wants to go outside a bit. Does anyone else want to join?" he offered in a kind and gentle voice.

"Oh I will!" Alexis smiled happily, running away from Tonks and into the living room.

"How about we all go outside for a little bit?" Andromeda suggested, turning to Tonks and smiling at her daughter as a newfound sense of understanding continued to develop within the mother and daughter.

"I'd like that," Tonks smiled, netting her fingers in with Remus' as they turned and quickly exchanged soft smiles.

She followed him as he led her over to the closet beside the door. Remus took out their cloaks and placed hers around her shoulder first, making sure to bundle her up. As he did so, Tonks couldn't take her eyes off him. She felt her heart fluster and her heart swell with happiness as she looked him in the eyes. It was something so simple, but it made her so happy as if she was in a dream she hoped she'd never wake up from.

"What are you smiling about?" Remus asked softly, placing her scarf around her neck as she tied his cloak around him securely.

"Can't I just smile when I'm with you?" Tonks replied, almost shyly.

A blush appeared on Remus' face as he leaned in and sealed her lips with a soft and gentle kiss. He kissed her softly, holding her gentle face delicately as her lips connected with his. He could feel her hand trailing up his arm and getting tangled in his hair as their kiss deepened.

"Ah will you two lovebirds just give it a break for ten minutes?" Sirius' voice interrupted them rudely, followed by a push from the man himself.

Remus was careful to hold Tonks less she fell and Sirius was careful not to push too hard, but his interruption did pull them out of their deepening kiss, causing Tonks to throw her lanky cousin a death glare while Remus opened his mouth and was about to say something to Sirius. Remus suddenly stopped when his best friend held a finger up along with a mischievous smirk.

"The plan Moony," Sirius reminded him. "Insult me and I'm not going to help you."

Remus grunted and turned back to Tonks, walking away with her as he mumbled, "It doesn't seem like you're helping much anyways."

Sirius gave them a barking laugh as he bounced out of the house, grinning like a fool and happier than ever before. His eyes twinkled with mirth, joy, and delight as he ran outside.

"What plan's he talking about?" Tonks wondered.

"Nothing," Remus told her gently. "I just need Padfoot to help me pull a little prank and he's being a prat about it," he smiled.

"Sounds like Padfoot," Tonks nodded. "What's the prank?"

"It's a secret," he told her and smiled. "Remember the prank code?"

She nodded and rolled her eyes, remembering the entire hour that they'd spent sitting in the living room, trying to stay awake as Sirius and Remus lectured them about how the Marauders prank and their little _prank code_. Tonks was happy that at least some things from their past remained unchanged, but that didn't meant that the two remaining Marauders sometimes made her feel like the normal one around the house.

"Yes of course," she sighed. "And fair enough. Now what do you say we get outside?"

Their hands were knitted together as they walked out the back door and into Alexis' vast and almost endless backyard. The snow was up to their ankles but it was soft and fluffy. More snow still fell from the night sky and Tonks looked up at it, smiling. She didn't realize it but Remus was watching her with a smile on his face as well. He was taken back, mesmerized by another lovely sight of Tonks. He watched her smile at the moon and seeing the ease of how she did so, it made him relax as well. Remus Lupin turned his eyes to the moon and smiled at it, something he wished he would be able to do for as long as he could remember.

Outside they could see the others, each in their own little world. Tonks' smile brightened when she saw her mother talking with her father about something, sitting on a wooden bench together under a large tree, both with bright smiles on their faces. Andromeda's stiffness and her usual stoic expression was diminished into nothing around her family and especially around Ted Tonks. When Tonks turned to her left, she saw her cousin with black and blonde hair, running around happily in the soft snow, trying to avoid being caught by Deacon. Tonks chuckled when Lexi slipped and fell into Deacon's arms. She immediately turned away, giving them their privacy when Alexis' smile turned intimate and Deacon's face closed in on hers. Tonks followed Remus' eyes now, turning to look at Sirius who was also teasing Evelyn.

Sirius was chasing Evelyn playfully in both his human and his animagus form. The large black dog barked happily and then he suddenly turned into a man with snow falling on his curly black hair, laughing loudly as he teased and joked around with the woman. Tonks stood there and watched, glad that Sirius had finally found some normality and some of his own happiness outside of prison. When Sirius and Evelyn suddenly fell behind a very large oak tree, Remus and Tonks suddenly turned away, giving that couple their own privacy as well.

"Reckon we should interrupt him like he'd always do to us?" Remus questioned with a familiar Marauder smirk on and mischievous glint in his eyes.

A smirk crossed her face as well, but her smirk quickly turned into a soft smile. "Maybe we could just let him off this one time," she replied, feeling like the mature one for once.

Remus nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what I was thinking," he told her and then leaned closer to her, his lips grazing hers softly before he went in for a deep kiss, picking up right from where they'd left off inside the house. Then there they were, two supposedly polar opposite and mixed matched couple, standing in inches of snow, kissing without a care in the world. Soft snow fell on their shoulders but quickly melted from the heat that emitted from their skin. Remus held her close, mindful of her belly which he held protectively as well. Their kiss was true and honest with as much love as they could ever hold. For them it was certainly love, and the cold snow suddenly felt warm.

* * *

><p>When a warm ray of the golden sunlight stroke her cheek, Tonks found herself waking up, much easier than she ever did before. She opened her eyes slowly and yawned, pulling herself up from where she laid beside the now-dead-fire and the large Christmas tree filled with various colorful ornaments. She looked around, nearly blinded by the bright morning light that came from the large windows without curtains in the house.<p>

A gentle smile fell upon her lips when she looked around her and found her family, curled up, asleep, very close beside her. Sirius was sprawled out on the sofa with Evelyn's head resting on his shoulder and a half full bottle of firewhiskey in his hand. Alexis and Deacon were cuddled together right under the tree, holding each other close and sleeping soundly. Tonks found her parents on the single leather armchair, her mother on her father's lap and they too were soundly asleep. She smiled brighter, remembering their many conversations from the night before. Tonks looked down and found Remus, just stirring awake beside her with his hand still protectively over her pregnant belly.

"Wotcher," she smiled softly.

"Good morning Dora," he replied back, sitting up and cracking his back.

"You're up late. Usually you're always the first one up."

"I must have over slept," he smiled. "You're up early."

She nodded. "Yes, and Remus, now I know why you like waking up so early in the morning," she told him while inhaling a deep breath of the morning air and looking around. "I wouldn't trade this moment for the world," she told him in a soft and gentle, almost whisper-like voice as she smiled and looked with him at their family that was close around them.

"I wouldn't either love," he told her and pulled her closer to him. "And when our little girl's born, she would be happy to know that there are so many people here in our family to take care of her," he told her, looking around still with a smile on.

Tonks nodded again, agreeing with him entirely. Her heart flustered once again and swelled with happiness when Remus said that the child was _their_ baby. There were many reasons why she loved him whole-heartedly, and that was just one out of the infinite number of reasons.

She'd never considered herself a morning person. In fact, before then, Tonks always hated waking up in the morning because it would mean another day in an office where she obviously can't prove her skill, and then the rest of the day would be spent in a forceful relationship while she dreamed of another. But that morning, when she woke up surrounded by family and in the arms of the one man she truly loved with her entire heart, she felt like the morning was the most beautiful time of day. They were all her family: Remus, Andromeda, Ted, Sirius, Alexis, and even Evelyn and Deacon.


	15. Baby Tears and Gentle Sobs

**Chapter 15 – Baby Tears and Gentle Sobs**

His heart was pounding, drumming up a storm inside his chest, ready to burst. Never before in his life had Remus Lupin been that nervous, that scared, and that worried. He paced back and forth, wearing a trench in Alexis Black's living room as he continued to mutter quiet whispers to himself, telling himself that there was nothing to worry about. His mind was pulled in all directions and he found himself wanting to forget about the wait and just run upstairs to be there for his lover the entire time.

A loud, painful scream was muffled on its way from upstairs down to where they were in the living room. Remus nearly jumped but his pacing did not stop. Tonks didn't even reach the birth giving stage yet. According to Madam Pomfrey who so kindly came to help them in the comfort of their own home and turning a blind eye to the man named Sirius Black, Tonks was still waiting for the baby to shift and reach the final stage. Remus cringed. Sirius was in his seat, rocking back and forth, looking worried as well. He sat beside his cousin Alexis, both wearing identical faces. When another scream was heard, Sirius shut his eyes, Alexis flinched, and Remus jumped again. They were all worried, and the fact that Tonks was suddenly due an entire month early wasn't any comfort to their ears.

"For Merlin's sake!" Sirius grunted. "How painful is childbirth?"

"Apparently very painful," Alexis replied, that being the one subject she had absolutely no experience and no knowledge in whatsoever.

"Is all the screaming really ok?" Remus asked, turning to look at Ted who'd brought them all drinks from the kitchen. Surprisingly, the kind man seemed unfazed.

"Trust me, the screaming is very ok," Ted told them in his comforting, mellow voice. "You're lucky she hasn't started screaming bloody murder yet." He tried to tease them and Alexis and Sirius could only manage a smirk while Remus remained worried sick.

"Come on Moony, she'll be fine," Lexi tried to comfort her friend.

"Bloody hell!" Tonks screamed from upstairs in a high pitched voice.

Lexi winced and had the urge to retract her words if that was possible. They all turned around when they heard hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. Andromeda Tonks, with her long brown hair disheveled, looked at them with an almost dazed look in her eyes.

"Remus, she needs Remus," Andromeda breathed.

Without a second to waste, Remus dashed upstairs immediately, tripping over several steps and his own feet on the way up in the haste. Alexis and Sirius continued to stay downstairs and worrying, knowing that with too many people in the room, no matter how worried they are, will not be beneficial to Tonks or the early-due baby. Ted sat down beside Alexis, explaining to her that there was nothing to worry about even if the baby was due early. Sirius had replaced Remus' place and was pacing up a storm.

The seconds turned into minutes and the minutes passed by like each eternity trying to drag out its time. Sitting in the quiet living room hearing nothing but Tonks' now constant screams and Sirius' footsteps as he paced down the floorboards, the word _worry_ soon became an understatement. More seconds passed and those seconds once again turned into minutes. Tonks' screams changed to loud curses and even Sirius had to admit his little cousin was rather creative with the many defamed curses coming out of her mouth. It must be very painful.

* * *

><p>Remus was sure he'd lost all the feelings in his arm by then. Ignoring the piercing pain, he still held her closely and tightly as Tonks cringed with pain. She was trying so hard to suppress her screams and shrieks, but her efforts seemed futile. He gently wiped the sweat from her forehead, his arm numb now as her nails dug into them and a little bit of blood seeped out.<p>

Inside, Remus was praying for everything to go smoothly. They hadn't expected the baby to arrive a month early, and that morning they definitely hadn't expected when in the middle of a prank war, Tonks suddenly said that her water broke.

Though logically he knew that Tonks' child wasn't his, he still couldn't get rid of the feeling inside of him that yearned for a family, and there it was, waiting for him. He whispered soothing words into her ear, reassuring her as she took deep breaths.

After a while, when he thought that her pain would never end, a different noise came to Remus' ears. It was a noise he'd never heard before, ever in his life. It was the noise of a crying child, a baby, newborn and fragile. It was then that he was pulled back into reality and he saw the sight in front of him, making his knees weak and his stomach turn. His heart did a back flip and continued dancing like a fool as he watched her…them.

Madam Pomfrey carried a bundle of blankets up to Tonks and Remus, a bright and glowing smile plastered on her face. Tonks' forehead was dripping with sweat and she was breathing heavily. Remus then marveled at the sight of when Tonks saw what was bundled inside the blanket. Her breathing became even and her eyes swelled with tears of happiness and the smile on her face was brighter than the shining morning sun. The young mother beamed at the sight of her daughter and he felt himself smile as well, how bright he didn't know but he knew that nothing could make him forget that feeling of true bliss.

"Remus," Tonks called his name and Remus found himself guided closer to them.

He looked at the baby's now calm and curious face in Tonks' arms. His heart froze and he felt himself inhaling a deep breath while his smile widened even more. She was beautiful. She was a bit smaller than most, he knew that. She was due a month early, but though she was small the baby girl was still perfect in every way. Healthy and calm now, the little girl stopped crying and looked up at the two smiling faces of which she automatically recognized as her mother and her father. The child had streak black hair, perhaps a trait from the Black side of Tonks' family, but everything else was strictly Nymphadora, from the cute, slightly upturned nose to the full red lips and the vivid green eyes. Those eyes were definitely Nymphadora's.

"She's beautiful," Remus gasped, daring to reach closer and caress the child's rosy cheek.

"You can hold her if you want," Tonks told him softly and handed the baby to him with as much care and tender as there was ever possible in the world.

Remus took her hesitantly, but his hesitance only came from the fact that he'd never held a child that small before, not because of his werewolf identity. In fact, at that moment of bliss he'd completely forgotten about the fact that he was a werewolf. All he saw were the positives and happiness of life. He held the baby with care, holding the fragile little girl in his arms and moving his scarred but still gentle and handsome face closer to her as he took a closer look. His eyes lit up when the child smiled to him and he joined in on Tonks' soft laughter.

"I think baby Lydia likes you," she told him.

"Lydia," Remus nodded, liking the name. "Named after Alexis?" he smiled, knowing Alexis Black's middle name since Tonks, Sirius, and Andromeda kept screaming it so often.

"I couldn't think of anyone else to name our baby daughter after. And naming her Alexis would be too confusing," Tonks told him.

"Lydia Alice," Remus smiled. "How does that sound?"

"Perfect."

"She's our daughter," Remus smiled and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on the child.

"Alright Remus, Nymphadora," Poppy Pomfrey spoke up from the foot of the bed, finished with her work. "I'll get the papers ready and inform your family," she smiled at the new family. Her eyes twinkled with a glint almost like Dumbledore's as she left them.

"Is it me or is her hair getting lighter?" Remus wondered, looking at the baby girl.

Their eyes widened when baby Lydia's hair suddenly turned from raven black to a light brown, almost identical to Remus' color. Her eyes changed as well and they were no longer lucid, vivid green. They were a soft shade of gentle and caring baby blue, almost identical to the man holding her, a man she'd proudly call 'dad'. Tonks grinned cheekily while Remus smiled, marveled and surprised.

"She really likes you," Tonks laughed.

Together, they turned around as the door to the room softly opened and in walked their family. Alexis poked her head in first, followed by Sirius who was right on top of hers. Tonks smiled when Sirius blamed Andromeda for ruining the cycle and received a faux death glare. They walked in with slow and quiet steps, smiling at the baby in Remus' arms who was now changing her hair into a funny shade between green and orange.

"Bloody hell! She's a metamorphmagus!" Sirius gasped.

"When Nymphadora was first born, her hair and eyes changed immediately as well," Andromeda smiled, leaning back to Ted for support as she discreetly dabbed the tears away from her eyes, watching her daughter grow up and reach adulthood. She admitted she was doubtful of Tonks' pregnancy at the very beginning and she wouldn't have been surprised if Tonks ended up not wanting the baby, no matter how cruel that would be. But Andromeda had been proven so wrong, seeing her daughter so happy with the man she truly loves and around her family.

"Hey her hair's turning pink!" Lexi beamed, grinning like a child at the baby.

"So what did you decide to name her?" Ted asked with his smile unfading.

"Lydia," Tonks and Remus smiled together, their voices blending into a perfect harmony.

Alexis stifled a shriek of happiness for the baby's sake. "You named her after me!"

"Who else would be more suitable than you?" Tonks smiled.

"And you've helped us through so much," Remus added, thanking her as well.

Sirius cleared his throat. "What am I an umbrella stand?" he questioned, gesturing his hands around himself. "I helped too!"

"Yes but Padfoot…" Remus began, smiling as he and Tonks held the child together.

"Why can't you name her after me?"

"Have you ever heard of any girl named Sirius?" Tonks retorted.

"Oh hush up Sirius or I will make you," Andromeda threatened and hit him playfully in the back of the head, causing soft, stifled laughter to sound from all occupants in the room.

A soft knock on the door took their attention and they all turned back to see Madam Pomfrey walk in, smiling politely with a genuine hue of happiness, and a stack of papers in her hands. She of course smiled brightly as well. She'd seen many births before, but never had one affected her so much. The goofy, clumsy and reckless pink haired girl who she once saw every other day in the hospital wing at Hogwarts was now a mother. The lonely boy who was always weak and frail whom she'd see every single month was now a father. They were together, and though on a quick glimpse they didn't look like they would match, she secretly knew that they would fit each other perfectly. It was a magical part of love, magic even wizards can't explain.

"I believe you have to sign her birth certificate," Poppy Pomfrey smiled.

She handed the papers to the smiling parents and they each signed quickly, their eyes not leaving their child for more than three seconds. When she took it back and looked at the signature fitting happily together side by side, she smiled to herself. After she made a copy of the document, proudly, Poppy Pomfrey handed the certificate to them. She'd watched them grow up, and she couldn't have been more glad.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, say happy birthday to Lydia Alice Lupin."

The entire crowd turned to her, now with surprised smiles on their faces.

"Lydia Alice Lupin? That means Moony…I mean Remus is the dad," Sirius spoke.

"Why yes, how else did she get here?" Poppy Pomfrey replied, wondering if she was missing something. "You two are married so of course the child would take after her father's last name," she laughed kindly.

Remus and Tonks together were about to open their mouths to explain, but they found themselves frozen in the bliss. Tonks looked up at him, smiling and realized that she'd been called Mrs. Lupin. She liked hearing that name somehow and somehow it fitted her ear. Remus looked to her and the child in between them and realized that his family was right there. Though baby Lydia wasn't biologically his and Tonks wasn't exactly his beloved wife, for once in his life, Remus decided that unnecessary details like such could be left be for a while longer and he would worry about it once he was done celebrating the birth of such a beautiful baby girl. His baby daughter was in his arms, her hair now matching his while her eyes matched her mother's, making her truly look like the child between Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. Baby Lydia couldn't control her morphing just yet, but Remus was sure glad that the child had decided to settle on soft brown hair and lucid green eyes for the moment. They felt like a family. They looked like a family, and Remus was glad for that family.

"Let's get a family picture," Sirius suggested, pulling out a camera from out of nowhere.

"I will help you," Poppy Pomfrey offered and scooted Andromeda, Ted, Sirius, and Alexis in closer to the couple to fit in the camera frame. After one shot, she took one of the baby alone, and the baby with her mother and father at her side. Poppy Pomfrey had watched many families begin but in all her years, never had she'd seen one quite this special and quite this magical, so magical that even in the Wizarding world, families like that were rare.

Her eyes looked around quickly. There was Ted, a mellow and laid back man she knew since her years as a training nurse in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. Beside Ted was Andromeda, a direct relation to the Black family, a woman thought to be cold and icy like her sisters but yet proving them all very wrong. There was Alexis Black, a young pureblood of the Blacks, belonging to a family thought to be dark and evil, but she proved everyone wrong with the love she had. Then there was Sirius Black, escaped prisoner, but a doting cousin and friend. Remus Lupin was a werewolf, one who was afraid of his own wolf self but found acceptance at last. And then there was Nymphadora Tonks, the metamorphmagus, a gifted child though goofy, reckless, and unnaturally clumsy. Yes the family, on a brief glimpse, seemed dysfunctional, but a closer look showed her the magic and beauty in the one of a kind family.

* * *

><p>When the faintest morning light began creeping upon the dark horizon, at the crack of dawn, three people were up to conspire a beautiful scheme. They worked in a standing silence, moving things as softly and quietly as they could, afraid that their plan would be ruined with the slightest of sound. They were putting together the materials needed for the plan, a list of materials that seem so random and childish. Alexis Black rubbed her sleepy eyes awake and put away the bag of craft feathers as she finished with it. Sirius Black grumbled quietly to himself, fitting into his costume ruefully. Remus Lupin was rocking back and forth on his foot, rehearsing his lines to himself, feeling nervous and scared.<p>

"Padfoot I'm starting to think that perhaps Prongs' plan is much too young for us."

"Nonsense," Sirius told his friend. "This plan may be childish but I guarantee you it will work. And I'm not going to wear this thing for nothing," he spoke with an edge as he gestured to the silly costume he had on.

"Tell me again why this plan requires feathers, glitter, and such a complicated charm," Alexis yawned, falling back on the sofa.

"We were going to change it a bit," Remus mused. "But then that wouldn't be fair to butcher Prongs' plan and then blame it on him less it fails."

"It's not going to fail Moony," Lexi reassured the man.

"It better work," Sirius grunted. "I feel ridiculous."

"This may be too childish," Remus spoke, worrying about all the reasons that his plan could fail as he became more nervous by the passing second.

"It's not going to fail," Alexis sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's romantic, and it's different from all those storybook romances. This is cute Moony," she smiled. "And she's going to like the effort we put into doing this for her. She's going to like the way you did a little bit more than necessary, and she's going to say yes because she loves you."

"Thank you Alexis," Remus smiled, daring to accept her words and wish them to be true. He liked receiving friendly reassurance from Alexis. Her words were always so much better and easier to the ear than Sirius', even if they both had the same intention in speaking.

"So how long do I have to wear this ungodly ridiculous thing?" Sirius wondered.

"Until Nymphadora wakes up and we go through with the plan," Remus smiled. "You don't want to have to put it on a second time do you Padfoot?"

He laughed with slight nervousness as Sirius groaned and dragged himself away from Remus. Pacing back and forth on the carpeted section of the living room, Remus reassured himself that everything was going to work out fine. He slipped his left hand into his trouser pocket and pulled out a half eaten bar of chocolate, quickly breaking off a piece and placing it in his mouth. Chocolate always calmed him down, a little if not a lot. He then shoved the chocolate away and slipped his right hand into his pocket. Inside there was a small box but he didn't pull it out. Instead he patted it, making sure it was there, making sure it was safe, and then returned to trying to calm himself down. His heart was beating way too fast to be healthy, and he felt his stomach turning as if a storm was breaking out inside his body.

"_Calm down Lupin, calm down,_" Remus thought to himself. "There's nothing to be afraid of," he continued to mutter words to reassure himself.

His eyes turned towards the window to see the morning sun begin climbing the horizon. It was then that he felt even more tense and nervous. With the sun's crescendo would come Nymphadora's awakening. When she wakes, it would be time for the plan to start, and Remus wanted more than anything for it to go perfectly. He wasn't going to bail and shy out at the last minute like James had when the plan first came around, and he definitely wasn't going to give up a chance to make himself happy. He'd learned something with his stay with Sirius and Alexis, and that was it's ok to be selfish once in a while, and it's ok to think of your own happiness once in a while. Remus bounced up and down in his place, trying to calm his breath.

* * *

><p>The golden sun reached its highest point in the bright blue winter sky when noon came around. Tonks woke up, shifting slowly into a seating position, unused to the sudden lightness she felt as she no longer had a pregnant belly to deal with. It was the morning after her child's birth and though she was weak, Tonks was more than eager to get out of bed and see her sweet baby. There were two faces she had in her mind that she wanted to see right away. She wanted to see her baby, baby Lydia Alice Lupin. Tonks smiled at the name. And she wanted to see Remus.<p>

Sitting up, she looked around for her child. She was laying in her own room, a room she now shared with Remus as the spare one had been turned into a nursery and hew newborn baby girl was probably sleeping in there right at that moment. Tonks winced when she moved a little too roughly trying to get off the bed. Luckily, as if he was called to her aid, Remus walked through the door and immediately was at her side, helping her up.

"Good morning Nymphadora," he greeted, helping her stand as painlessly as possible.

"Wotcher Remus," she smiled, placing her hands on him to balance herself as she didn't trust herself to be able to get up less she fell.

"Are you ok standing?" he asked her, worried.

"Of course," she smiled and nodded. She was an auror after all and one trained under Alastor Moody no less. "I want to see baby Lydia," she told him softly.

He smiled warmly and took her hands. "In a bit. We've got to do something first."

She showed him a bemused face as she asked, "What do we have to do?"

"It's a surprise," he smiled but his smile seemed nervous and shaky. "Come love."

Quietly she followed him. They took slow steps and Remus' arm was around her, partially picking up most of her weight, but still allowing her to walk, not wanting her to feel useless. He led her over to Alexis' last guest room the room in which Tonks swore had been left untouched ever since she came to the house.

There was a quick glimpse of a mischievous smirk on Remus' face as he opened the door and led her inside.

She gasped. The room seemed like it had no floors and magically, it felt as if they weren't standing in a room anymore. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly like butterfly wings as she looked around. When Remus closed the door, it didn't even look like they were in a house anymore. He held her up by her waist as the room turned into a world, their world in the past. Remus smiled as he watched her gawk in amazement. The room then began flashing images, looking as if they were apparating but in slow motion. The next thing she knew, Tonks saw herself, many, many years ago. She was there with Remus, the time when they first met. The room was flashing images of their past together, defining moments in their past.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Remus asked beside her, blue eyes twinkling.

"Of course I remember," Tonks smiled with wide-eyed wonder.

_I__t was so long ago. Remus had been a mere school boy then, in his sixth year at Hogwarts, and Tonks was just a toddler, barely able to stand. It was a little bit awkward for her seeing that image, but it was still one she couldn't forget, because it was when they met. They were in the front gardens of Andromeda's house. Sirius came over for summer break like he always did and he brought a new friend. It wasn't James Potter, the boy with glasses and unruly messy hair like the year before. This new friend was different. He looked kinder with a hidden mischievous aura that the three year old could see clearly. She smiled at him, ignoring the many scars on his handsome face. He bent down and smiled at her, a neon pink balloon in his hand._

_ "Hello Nymphadora," the sixth year boy with light brown hair and a kind smile greeted._

_ "Wotcher," the three-year-old grinned._

_ "I'm Remus Lupin. Sirius said you liked this color so I got it for you," he told her, feeling a little bit nervous with kids and so felt the need for insurance by bringing a balloon._

_ "Wotcher Remus," she greeted again. "I'm Tonks and no matter what my mum or Sirius says, don't ever call me Nymphadora. Don't call me Nymphadora and we'll be great friends."_

"I should have stuck with my words," Tonks told him, tightening her arms around Remus. "If I'd made more of a fuss whenever you call me by my first name, then maybe you would have stopped calling me Nymphadora by now." She looked up to him and smiled.

"Not a chance my dear," he smirked and watched as another scene flashed before them in the room that had been magically charmed by a very strong and reliable witch.

_It was raining that night. On rainy days like those, somehow ten year-old Nymphadora Tonks always liked to have someone with her. Secretly, she hated being alone in the middle of a storm, because that feeling of loneliness was the worse one to ever feel. Her parents were out to get some things and were probably caught up in the rain. Sirius was busy with a girl that he really liked and she didn't want to intrude. Alexis had been sleeping over at a friend's house and wouldn't be back till tomorrow. And so, Nymphadora was alone._

_ A knock on her door scared her but foolishly, she opened it. Standing at her door, soaked from head to toe in the pouring rain was Remus Lupin, smiling at her with two bars of chocolate in his hands. She beamed. She wasn't alone._

_ "Hello Nymphadora."_

_ "Wotcher Remus," she smiled, choosing to ignore the fact that he'd just gotten away with calling her by her dreadful first name. "What are you doing here? It's raining hard."_

_ "Sirius said you'd be all alone and I thought I'd come over to make sure you're alright," he smiled. "I brought chocolate."_

_ The ten year-old beamed and opened the door wider as he walked in. Remus wandlessly used a charm on himself and he was dry within an instant. The thunder cracked outside and Tonks jumped in surprise. She then found a very kind young man, kneeling down beside her with a reassuring smile, offering her a bar of chocolate._

_ "Thanks for letting me in."_

_ "I may be a bad girl according to Padfoot, but I wouldn't let you stand in the rain."_

_ "I thank you for that. Coming over here, I admit I had selfish intentions," he said shyly._

_ "What are those?" she asked, munching on the almost gone bar of chocolate._

_ "I feel lonely when it rains. So when Sirius said I can hang out with you, I immediately went," he smiled, confiding his thoughts into the brilliant smile of a ten year-old._

_ "I feel lonely when it rains too! Now we don't have to be lonely anymore!"_

_ He smiled genuinely at her enthusiasm and picked her up, carrying her over to the sofa and propping her down right beside him, lighting the fire and summoning a book simultaneously. They sat like that in silent comfort for a while, but the silence soon got to both of them and they began talking about anything and everything, falling into endless, humorous and childish conversations. Remus felt comfortable with her. It was something about her care free nature._

Tonks smiled, her smile eternal and unfading as she relived that wonderful day. It was the beginning of a very beautiful friendship between her and Remus, and it was also another moment she wasn't able to forget.

"How come you don't read to me and give me chocolate anymore?"

"Yes I do," he laughed. "I read to you all the time and I give you chocolate all the time."

"Not at the same time," she smirked.

He shook his head and smiled, placing a tender kiss on her temple. She heard a soft sound of laughter coming from his lips and Tonks beamed as they continued to watch the memories play by like they were traveling through time.

_It was Tonks' seventh year, her last year at Hogwarts and she was eighteen, about to take her N.E.W.T. exams. That night had been the night of the Graduation Formal, a ball where only last year students were allowed to attend and it was a dance looked forward to all year for the students. It was the equivalent of the muggle prom to many. Unfortunately for Tonks, her relationship with her cheating boyfriend Evan Rosier had just ended after she found out he'd been cheating on her with Amelia Greengrass, a Slytherin in their year. Tonks had spent the past three nights crying. She thought what she had with Evan had been love, but she obviously was wrong. Perhaps she didn't know what love really is. That night she had taken her broom and snuck out of school, choosing rather to spend the night alone beside a river she didn't know the name of rather than attend the ball and break into tears again._

_ A warm hand was suddenly placed on her shoulder, causing Tonks to turn around from gazing at the flowing river. Her eyes were red and her face was stained with tears. She looked up to see the kind and gentle face of a young but tired Remus Lupin looking at her with a warm gaze. He lifted her up to her feet with no effort at all and silently wiped her tears._

_ Remus wrapped his warm, protecting arms around her in a loving embrace. He held her tightly for a moment, silently reassuring her before letting go. Remus held her by her arms and looked at her gently. "Whoever he is, he's not worth your tears. Only cry for those who love you, but remember…those who love you won't make you cry."_

_ "Aren't you going to return to the dance? If you miss it you'll regret it. Trust me."_

_ Tonks shook her head again. "I'd rather dance here than there," she joked._

_ "I know I'm too old for this, but I don't want you to pass this night without dancing," he smiled shyly. "Nymphadora, may I have this last dance?"_

_ Tonks smiled, looking up at the man who seemed so young and attractive. "Yes."_

_ Remus chuckled as he gently placed his hand on her waist and took her other hand, holding her close. Tonks felt her heart beat rapidly as she stared into his tender blue eyes. Her heart skipped a few beats when he smiled and then raced to catch up on those missing beats afterwards. Tonks definitely had never felt that way with Remus Lupin before. Her stomach was in knots, but it was such a good feeling that she yearned for it to last forever._

_ Tonks glowed as she danced with him. She'd never expect that her last dance at Hogwarts would turn out like that._

_ "This is…a wonderful way to spend my last dance. I feel so special," she smiled._

_ "I'm glad you saved the last dance for me then," Remus teased._

"Why do you always catch me at the last dance?" Tonks asked aimlessly, smiling.

"Because I'm a fool," he told her and Remus leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips. He kissed smiling lips and his heart danced with delight. They held hands with Tonks being strong enough on her legs now to stand alone. The room continued to shift and change, replaying yet another moment in their time together.

_It was the morning right after the full moon. Remus didn't have access to wolfsbane then, and so like always he'd apparate to the Shrieking Shack to transform and then apparate back when the morning sun rose. That morning was a particularly warm morning as it neared summer. When he arrived back at his small and bare apartment, he was surprised to see Nymphadora Tonks fallen asleep beside his front door. The last moon hadn't been kind to him and he had no energy to pick her up so instead, Remus opened his front door and sat down beside her, waiting for her to wake up._

_ As he waited he was confused. Tonks never visited him that early after a full moon before and he wondered what had made her do so. His bones ached and the cuts on his body though had stopped bleeding still stung. Remus still waited and finally, she stirred. Tonks' eyes slowly opened and her pink hair grew significantly brighter when she saw his face._

_ "Remus!" she grinned, her dark eyes twinkling. "Wotcher! How was the last moon?"_

_ "Terrible," he replied but smiling as she got up, helping him into his apartment. "Dora what are you doing sleeping at my doorstep?"_

_ She laughed a bit. Her laughter was loud and to others may seem unladylike, but somehow hearing her laugh that particular morning made him smile as well and forget about his aches and pains. "I was really stupid sorry but I just had this question on my mind and I couldn't wait. I came over just an hour ago but I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep," she smiled._

_ Remus shook his head as she sat him down on the wooden stool and searched his cupboards for food. "You're always an odd one," he commented. Suddenly that morning he noticed that once he saw her, he didn't feel depressed and dreary about his lycanthropy anymore. Rather, it felt like how Tonks had always seen it, as a furry _little_ problem. "What did you need to ask me?" he questioned and beamed when Tonks set down a cup of tea for him._

_ "This may seem very weird…but when the moon rises and you're transforming into a wolf…does it hurt?" she asked straightforwardly but not sharply._

_ Remus looked into her curious dark eyes and nodded, a bit sad, but just seeing her face lifted his spirits. "It's like…your body was changing rapidly…like the man was breaking to fit the wolf," he replied, contemplative. "I just know it's really painful."_

_ Suddenly, Tonks pouted which made him curious. "That's really terrible then," she spoke. "I read this book and it said werewolf transformations were instant and painless."_

_ Remus shook his head but was unable to stop himself from cupping her face with one warm but calloused hand. Much to his surprise, Tonks' lips quirked upwards, smiling genuinely as she held his hand to her face. As he stared into her deep, soulful dark eyes for a while, Remus realized that somehow, seeing Tonks made him flustered, gave him a good, warm feeling inside, and seeing her right after a transformation suddenly made his world shine brighter. He wondered why he felt so oddly towards her._

_ "I guess I should go," Tonks pouted again. "I should let you rest. Sorry," she laughed._

_ "No wait," Remus suddenly found himself calling. "You…you could stay if you want. I'm just going to pick up a book and read, I'm not sleeping yet," he smiled a bit boyishly and shyly. "Maybe I could read this book of yours about a painless transformation?" He beamed as Tonks nodded eagerly, magically conjuring up the book with her wand and a muttered spell._

_ With no one to talk to and feeling like she couldn't take it anymore, Tonks thought that maybe it was time to voice her feelings to Remus. After all, according to Alexis Black, when you have a crush on someone for over a year, it was no longer a crush, it was love. Tonks had been 'crushing' on Remus for two years certain and maybe a while before that._

_ "Nymphadora, you're soaking wet. Come inside," Remus spoke quickly pulling her inside his office. "Did you walk through the grounds in the rain? You could get sick," he nagged._

_ Tonks smiled lightly and she was so happy that he seemed to care for her. It made her relax a little at what she wanted to talk to him about afterwards. "Remus I needed to talk."_

_ Remus sighed and gestured for her to sit down. He cleared up his cluttered desk full of papers he still had yet to grade and leaned on the side, looking down at her with a small smile on his lips. Tonks would do that often. During his year teaching at Hogwarts, Tonks would visit his office just to talk sometimes, and Remus appreciated that. No matter how much he enjoyed being in company of the students, it was still nice to have a personal friend to talk to often._

_ "Remus…I…I don't know how to say this. But I feel something for you. I…see you as more than just a very close friend to me," Tonks began, feeling flustered and nervous._

_ As clumsy as she was, Tonks suddenly tripped over a crack in the ground. She flailed gracelessly to the ground, but incidentally Remus had tried to catch her and unlike many other times, that time he'd fallen himself as well. They both fell onto the ground, their bodies splashing against the puddles of untainted rain. Tonks looked up, cursing under her breath at her clumsiness. She was lying on Remus who'd tried to catch her, safe and protected. He was pushing himself up while helping her as well, and suddenly she felt a need to smile, grin actually._

_ "You'll be the death of me Nymphadora," he groaned, not used to falling like she was._

_ Tonks laughed as Remus helped her back up onto her legs. He held her tightly by her arms, his body against hers and they realized they were standing awfully close. The rain had softened to a mere drizzle while they stood there, looking into each others' eyes. Tonks' soulful dark eyes met Remus' gentle blue eyes and suddenly, it was as if they were both under a spell._

_ Slowly, Tonks could feel Remus' warm breath getting closer to her lips. She stood still as he leaned in closer and closer. After a short moment, Remus' lips were rested on hers. He didn't move anymore however, perhaps he was waiting for her to respond. Tonks was unsure. She could feel the small bump that was beginning to form on her stomach and she knew that she shouldn't. But she just couldn't resist. After two years, his lips were finally on hers. Tonks closed her eyes, uncaring for that one moment in time. She pressed forward and soon could feel Remus' soft lips gliding against hers. They kissed gently but lacking no passion at all. Tonks didn't even mind the rain that was growing heavy on her shoulders as she kissed him. She kissed him again after they'd stopped for a moment. She kissed him again and again._

_ "Dora I'm so sorry," Remus suddenly sighed. His sigh was heavy and long, making her want to hug him tighter, which she unknowingly did. _

_ He was quiet for a moment, but Remus slowly nodded, his forehead touching hers. "I was just afraid of what would happen to you if I told you how I felt. If I told you I love you, I'd make you an outcast. You'd be discriminated because of me. And I have nothing to offer you. I'd be burdening you with my lycanthropy. I can't bear to see someone I love, burdened with that weight," he sighed softly to her, admitting his truest thoughts. The soft, drizzling rain trickled down his face and it made her feel like he was crying, his tears mixing in with the rain._

_ Tonks couldn't fight a smile. "Remus, say the last sentence again, please."_

_ He thought about it for a moment and then repeated his words slowly, truthfully. "I can't bear to see someone I love, burdened with that weight."_

_ The smile on Tonks' face suddenly danced up into a grin as she held his face with both her hands, gently. "Someone you love…me?" she asked in partial disbelief. Remus nodded and Tonks felt her heart lodged in her throat. All she could do was smile._

Their eyes were closed with soft smiles on their faces and they thought about that feeling when they first kissed each other. It was a kiss of longing, full of want and desire. That kiss, they remembered, felt like it should have happened a long time ago. But now, they stood there, hand in hand and smiled anyways.

When the live and vivid flashbacks ended, Tonks' cheeks were flushed pink as she couldn't even morph away her intense blush. The room then shifted into a bright scene, one which she clearly remembered wasn't in any of their shared memories. The room shifted into a room of clouds and she felt as if she was standing on one. Being an auror, Tonks knew it was all magic of course, and she thanked magic for making such cute little moments possible. She was standing on clouds with Remus, and it felt like she was on top of the world.

"What was all that for?" she asked him softly, trying to lower her blush.

He smiled and held a finger up to his lips. Tonks' attention soon drifted over to her left where a soft sound of music was coming from a man, floating towards them on faux angel wings and he too was dressed in all white. He was holding a small golden harp of which the music was coming from. The tune he played was a lovely tune, one which she'd never heard before. When the man with the fake angel wings came closer, Tonks could see his face and the feeling of lightness was suddenly replaced with an urge to laugh. It was Sirius Black, in a costume that was apparently a cupid costume, and he was playing a harp.

"Padfoot, bloody hell," Tonks laughed, unable to resist.

"Yes, yes, now hurry up and get this over with," Sirius retorted but he didn't stop playing the harp. "I feel bloody ridiculous in this get up."

Remus laughed for a moment but once Tonks recovered, her turned her to face him, ignoring that a Sirius dressed as cupid was standing close to them. He smiled at her, his cheeks beginning to turn pink. Remus rocked back and forth on his foot, shoving his right hand into his pocket while his left hand rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Dora, we've known each other for most of our life," he began very shyly.

Tonks remained silent, her attention focused on this very shy Remus in front of her and forgetting about the odd image of her cousin right beside them. The soft melody of the harp still played and she felt herself relaxed and feeling gleeful with no proper explanation at all.

"We've been through a lot together," he continued. "And baby Lydia is now brought to this world. I…I…" he stopped for a moment, rethinking his words. Remus had had this all rehearsed in his mind a while ago, but suddenly when it came the moment, he felt flustered and couldn't say his words right. "My world will be completed only with you in it," he told her softly. And then, Remus Lupin got down on one knee while simultaneously pulling out the small black box from his right pocket and held it out to her. He opened it. "Nymphadora, will you marry me?"

If not for the fact that she was still holding onto Remus at that moment, Tonks would have fallen over and hit the ground. Tears of happiness swelled in her eyes and her vision became blurry as she stared at the beautiful ring. The ring was of white gold, a simple band with a pink diamond in the center, accompanied by two smaller white ones on the side. Tonks allowed herself a cry as she nodded.

Warm tears of true bliss fell from her eyes as she nodded and said "yes."

Adrenaline filled his body as Remus stood up and quickly placed the ring onto her finger, tears gathering in his eyes as well and he couldn't hold them back. Dazed by his own happiness, Remus picked her up and swung her, smiling into the nape of her neck as she laughed and held tighter onto him.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you," she said the same time he did and they both pulled back and laughed.

"H…how did you come up with all this?" she asked, her heart racing faster than it ever had before. Her knees were weak, her body was filled with adrenaline, and her heart swelled with a warmth she'd never felt before.

"James Potter's plan," Remus told her. "A perfect mix between sentimental, happy memories between us, a little bit of humor on Sirius' part to guarantee you don't get too lost in the memories, a soothing song with a spell over it to make sure you're calm and relaxed," he smiled, gesturing to the harp in Sirius' hands. "And a marriage proposal at the end."

She laughed and hugged him again, kissing him and making it brief in front of her cousin. "You…this is amazing."

"And it's all to guarantee that you say yes," Sirius smiled. "Now it's my turn. Seeing that I was right and definitely don't have the manner to not say I told you so…I told you so, I told you so," he nearly sung as he grinned at them. "Moony here was afraid you'd say no and so went with the most secure plan he's got in that twisted mind of his."

Tonks shook her head and hugged him tighter, tears flowing freely from her eyes now.

"Can I drop the spell?" Alexis' voice suddenly called from outside the door.

"A little longer Lexi," Sirius laughed.

"It's making me tired!"

"You can drop it now, thank you so much Lexi," Remus smiled and opened the door for her, letting the other member of the Black family walk into the room.

"You helped too?" Tonks asked, beaming positively.

"Of course I helped! My crazy pink haired cousin has to get engaged in the craziest way possible, otherwise it just wouldn't feel right," she teased.

"I love you guys," Tonks smiled and her arms only tightened around Remus.

"Alright Lexi, I've got a new task for you," Sirius smirked and Alexis raised her eyebrows. "How fast can you plan a wedding?" he asked excitedly while Lexi took a deep breath and Remus and Tonks grinned with wide smiles.


	16. Like His Own Daughter

**Chapter 16 – Like His Own Daughter**

Sounds of childish laughter rang through the house as the pink haired young mother was being sent back into her room by her black and blonde haired cousin. Tonks had been trying to take a peek at Alexis' plans for Tonks' wedding, but every time she tried she was told by Sirius and Andromeda that it was a secret and a surprise for her. Nymphadora Tonks had always loved surprises, but it was her wedding and she was eager to find out as soon as possible. It was probably her fiftieth time trying to peek, and her fiftieth time being sent back into her room. She pushed Alexis playfully but Alexis wouldn't give in. They laughed but soon Tonks was back where she started, in her room where the baby's nursery was, along with Remus, her mother, and newborn baby Lydia Alice Lupin, metamorphmagus, and according to Sirius, the next generation of Marauders since she was like Remus' own child.

"Come on Lexi, one peek!" Tonks called out the door.

"No. You worry about Lydia, Padfoot and I will worry about the wedding," Alexis replied, waving a dismissive hand to Tonks as she descended the stairs.

She pouted and turned back into the room, beginning to formulate a plan that would allow her a good look at what exactly had been planned for her upcoming wedding. Tonks grinned childishly as Andromeda shook her head at her. Andromeda was cradling baby Lydia in her arms, cooing to her as she rocked the child to sleep. Remus smiled at Tonks as he sat and watched in his chair, according to him, being a safe distance away. Even though Remus had held Lydia the day she was born, the days following he began growing afraid of holding her too often, his mind retreating into the fears that the werewolf inside of him would suddenly pounce. Tonks made a face and huffed.

"Just let your cousins have their fun," Andromeda smiled. "With your father down there supervising them, they won't plan anything embarrassing."

"You're not the one getting married," Tonks retorted. "You wouldn't know mum."

"Actually I do. I _did_ marry your dad after all. And Remus is in the same position as you. You don't see him running around trying to peek at his surprise wedding plans."

"But Remus is too calm for his own good and he has really good patience."

"Well then maybe it's something you should practice," Andromeda smirked.

"Mother," Tonks groaned and eyed Remus as he chuckled softly in his seat.

"Hush," Andromeda told her as she shifted Lydia onto her other arm as the baby began sobbing softly. "Oh it's ok," Andromeda cooed. "Your mummy's just being a little childish. Come, go to sleep sweetheart."

"How come you don't talk to me that nicely?" Tonks grunted and walked over to her baby, a warm smile dancing onto her face as she began to look less like the silly and childish Nymphadora, but more like the young mother that she was. "What's wrong? She can't sleep?"

Andromeda sighed and shook her head, handing the baby carefully over to Tonks, hoping that perhaps the mother could rock the child to sleep. "I haven't been able to get her to sleep for hours. She's fed, changed, and everything else is taken care of. She's sleepy, but she just can't fall asleep." She sighed and caressed the chubby cheeks of the fast growing child that laid in Nymphadora's arms, looking like mother like child. Baby Lydia looked sleepy and was sobbing quietly, growing cranky. Her hair changed to a mixture between flaming red and turquoise blue, the young metamorphmagus being unable to control her gift just yet.

Remus had gotten up and walked over to her, standing close by her side as he watched over the young mother and child. Lydia was like his own daughter to him as he looked at her with loving, warm and gentle fatherly eyes. Watching the couple, Andromeda smiled. She'd seen the same look in Ted's eyes when Nymphadora was first born, and now seeing them in Remus, her future son-in-law's eyes, made her glad and reassured.

"She's still not falling asleep?" he asked gently and Tonks shook her head.

"Why don't you hold her Remus?" Tonks asked but immediately he shied away. After the first few days of her birth when Remus had been the one mainly holding her, he was now shying away from holding the child. His thoughts returned to the many risks and dangers of his identity as a werewolf, and Remus returned to the mind state that he simply could not trust himself. He didn't want to hurt them, and Tonks knew he was only thinking of them, but she wished that he would put everything behind him and hold Lydia just like he did days before.

"I'm afraid I might hurt her," he told Tonks softly so Andromeda didn't hear.

Looking at him, Tonks made a face and sighed. She turned back to Lydia and continued cooing to her, whispering soft lullabies to her child so that the little child would fall asleep. Tonks rocked the child gently, humming to her a tune she faintly remembered from somewhere as the words began returning to her mind. Still, baby Lydia tossed and turned in her mother's arms, her face twisting into soft and gentle sobs as she grew cranky from being unable to sleep.

"She's still not sleeping," Tonks sighed after a while of cradling.

Remus was quiet, his brows furrowed together in thought as he reached a gentle hand forward and caressed her cheeks, being unable to resist from being that close. Lydia turned towards Remus' hand and seemed calmer by his touch. Her tiny fingers cleverly latched onto his and her fragile self seemed to have relaxed in Tonks' arms.

"Remus maybe she responds to you," Tonks smiled.

"Maybe," Remus nodded. "I guess it was because I was the one who held her the most during the first few days before you could walk," he smiled softly, looking at the little child with warm, soft, fatherly eyes.

"Sweetheart," she called him, losing herself in his gentle blue eyes. Tonks had always been in love with Remus' eyes, ever since the beginning when she met him, because there was something about them that made her feel the infinite love he was capable of. "Do you want to hold her?" she asked once again.

He was quiet again, hesitant to take the delicate child out of Tonks' arms, afraid that he would cause harm to her. Tonks huffed and rolled her eyes as she brought Lydia forward to Remus, placing the little child into Remus' arms and helping him cradle her head. Tonks stood there in front of him with baby Lydia in Remus' arms now. Remus held the child close and securely, more protecting and gentler than Tonks could ever hope for. Lydia seemed to have fitted in perfectly with his hold and the young metamorphmagus had stopped crying. She was getting comfortable now, snuggling against his embrace. Tonks had her hand caressing Lydia's chubby cheeks. She smiled at her daughter and at her fiancé with a look of pure bliss in her soft green eyes. Remus was tense holding Lydia at first, but he soon relaxed and a smile formed.

"She's such a brat," Tonks commented once Lydia began yawning sleepily in his arms.

Remus laughed softly and kissed Tonks' forehead as they both turned back to _their_ child. "She's beautiful," he sighed.

"You said that a million times."

"And it's a million times true," he said. "Lydia Alice…Lupin," he smiled with pure joy.

"She's going to be so spoiled," Tonks sighed and shook her head. "And she likes you. You shouldn't be afraid of holding her Remus. Look, she's finally falling asleep in your arms."

"I just want to take as many precautions as possible."

"It doesn't mean taking precautions from yourself love."

"Sweetheart, I'm a werewolf. You must take precautions against me."

"We don't care if you're a werewolf. And Lydia doesn't either," she added quickly before Remus could speak. "She's going to grow up, spoiled rotten but loving her dad," she pointed at Remus' chest. "Because he's Remus John Lupin. She's going to be like me and your lycanthropy will make her think no less of you."

He parted his lips, about to protest and argue with her, but Remus took a mental step back. He looked at the picture, seeing how perfect it was. It was exactly what he'd always wished for, a family. And there he was, in his own family with a perfect image that many years ago he could only paint and imagine in his head. But now, many years later, his perfect picture became a reality, and only a fool would walk away from that. Though he admitted he may make daft mistakes here and there, but Remus' sense of pride never deemed himself a fool, and he never plans on being one. He looked into Nymphadora's clairvoyant green eyes and smiled. He then turned with her down to look at baby Lydia and they smiled together like the young parents they were. That was his family. His fiancée and his daughter were his entire world.

"She's exactly like you dear," Remus told Tonks.

"How is that?" Tonks asked with a permanent smile upon her lips.

"She sleeps in her natural state when she's tired," Remus commented upon baby Lydia's signature Black family raven black hair. No doubt lucid green eyes were resting underneath those tired eyelids. "And she curls her body up the same way."

Tonks laughed softly. "Only you would notice love," she smiled. "She's asleep now. Do you want to set her down in her crib?"

Much to Tonks' delight, Remus shook his head, his smile like hers, everlasting. "I…I want to hold her a little bit longer."

"Of course sweetheart," she told him in a soft voice and walked with him as they headed over to the small armchair and sat down together. Tonks sat on the arm, watching over her lover and child. "She changes in her sleep," she commented just as Lydia's hair began morphing slowly, turning from raven black to strawberry blonde, to fiery orange, and settling on a soft, light brown, nearly identical to Remus' own hair color. Tonks tilted her head to the side, marveling at how much her daughter looked like a mix between her and Remus. Being a metamorphmagus was truly a gift. "She's like you now," Tonks smiled.

"Well she _is_ my daughter," Remus teased, becoming more and more comfortable with his new role now. He shifted the baby gently in his arms and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her cheek, smiling with a loving fatherly gaze.

"I'll be doomed if she takes after your Marauder self," Tonks sighed, having chosen to ignore the unnecessary detail that Lydia wasn't Remus' biological daughter. They both chose to look beyond that minor detail, and so the child in Remus' arms was a perfection of theirs.

"She won't. Our daughter will be a good student," Remus smiled and continued to rock the baby into an even deeper slumber, smiling internally and externally as his painted picture form years ago had become a perfect reality in the years later. He turned to Tonks and exchanged a brief kiss with her on the lips as they treaded upon an unspoken agreement that they would be going through the stage of parenthood together, along with the rest of their lives.

* * *

><p>The day was soft and sunny. The high point of winter had been reached and a blizzard in the beginning of February had already passed them by. It'd been two weeks ever since Nymphadora Tonks' first child was born, and it had been two weeks since Tonks and Remus became engaged, and parents. Those two weeks had been the best of their lives, and though it seemed like too much to ask for sometimes, they each wished that the rest of their lives would play out just the same. They were perfectly happy living in the modern house in the middle of nowhere in England, living with their family.<p>

It was a quiet morning when Evelyn and Deacon came over to visit. They brought with them baby clothes and toys and bright, eager smiles to see the baby.

Evelyn was first to hold Lydia, and then came Deacon. Lydia had been quite comfortable with the two new faces, but once again when she grew sleepy, the child turned to look for her mother and father. Soon the family had figured out that baby Lydia was only able to fall asleep when Tonks hummed a soft lullaby to her ears while Remus rocked her in his arms.

Sirius was watching them sitting in the living room, rocking the baby to sleep. He shook his head and smiled at his best friend and cousin. "Your daughter is going to be spoiled rotten."

"Funny, I said the same thing," Tonks smiled.

"She's not going to be spoiled," Remus hushed them. "She's going to be wonderful."

"Yes," Sirius smirked. "So wonderful that her generation can take over and bring forth another era of Marauders at Hogwarts," he chuckled and rubbed his hands together, his mind already planning and thinking of the many pranks he would teach to his little baby cousin.

"Padfoot," Tonks spoke in a warning tone.

"My daughter will be a good student, thank you very much," Remus told Sirius who had stuck his tongue out childishly at his best friend and cousin.

"You keep thinking that Moony," Sirius laughed. "And Tonks, you can't stop me," he teased and proceeded to lead Evelyn away, speaking with her about a brilliant plan of his.

"You must be pretty excited for the upcoming wedding too," Deacon smiled, speaking with Tonks and Remus while he gently touched the baby's tiny hand.

"Of course," Tonks replied, ready to go on and on about her wedding. "I just can't wait. But your girlfriend won't let me see what she's planning for my wedding, my own wedding! I've been trying to find out since last week and I still got nothing."

"Lexi and Sirius wanted to surprise us," Remus laughed and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Oh you're worried she might plan something crazy for your wedding," Deacon smiled as if he knew something that she didn't.

"She talked about it with you didn't she?" Tonks asked eagerly. "What did she say?"

The young man shook his head and tried to hide his smirk. "I can't say."

"Deacon," Tonks spoke.

"I'm sorry, she made me promise not to say anything!" he laughed.

"It can't be as bad as an unbreakable vow, now come on, tell me," she begged.

"Actually, when you make a promise to Alexis Black, it kind of is," Deacon teased.

"Bugger all," Tonks pouted.

"Oh cheer up Dora," Remus laughed.

She stuck her tongue out at him just as he took her hand and pulled her up to her feet.

"Deacon we're going to have to put Lydia down for her nap. Why don't you go join Lexi and find out what she's up to," Remus smirked, coming to an unspoken understanding with Deacon as their smiles seemed similar.

As Deacon nodded and left, Tonks turned to Remus with an odd look on her face. "I thought you didn't care," she told him dryly.

"I do care," he laughed. "But knowing Alexis, she would never tell either of us. So we would just have to rely on Deacon for help," he smiled a witty smile.

"Remus Lupin you complete and noble prat," Tonks teased as she joined him heading up the stairs and into Lydia's nursery. Tonks made extra care not to trip as she felt that since she was a mother now, she could at least get a little bit past her unnatural clumsiness.

Lydia Alice Lupin's nursery was made for her by her parents, grandparents, and cousins with a mixture of muggle items and magic. Her crib was magically built of course with many useful functions to aid in caring for the baby, but was put together by the two loving hands of her father and doting cousin. Her walls were painted like the clouds with puffs of white and the silver lining on all four walls. Her carpet had been Tonks' personal favorite as it was soft and changes colors and design patterns ever so often to match the bright white clouds of the walls, making it feel like she was in her own little world. There were several decorations placed in the room, along with furniture such as the two armchairs, a small bookshelf, closets, cabinets, changing table, and several decorative boxes that were loaded to the brim of baby contents, enough for years to come after Lydia's birth.

"Do you want to stay here for a bit with me?" asked Remus. "I want to hold her a little bit longer," he smiled.

She of course couldn't refuse. "How can I not?" Tonks smiled and sat down with him.

As he grew more comfortable holding their child, Remus always liked to spend a little extra time holding her, feeling warmer with their baby in his arms and his fiancée right beside him. He loved those seemingly common and not-so-special moments. He loved every single moment he could spend with his family, mother, father, and daughter.

"She's definitely your child," Remus smiled, admiring Lydia's bubblegum pink hair.

"How does she get it so bright?" Tonks teased, comparing her shade of pink to Lydia's.

They watched together, marveled as Lydia's hair color soon changed from bubblegum pink slowly to a brilliant turquoise blue. Though Tonks herself was a metamorphmagus and was no stranger to seeing the change, watching her daughter morph constantly made her feel an unexplainable emotion inside her. All she knew was that it was a good emotion, an emotion that made her smile for no reason with a desire to morph her hair to match her daughter's.

"Sweetheart, what was the name of the song you always hum to our daughter?"

"I think it's called _Lullaby for a Stormy Night_," Tonks told him after a moment of thought. "It's a song from my own childhood as well, I know that."

"I think Lydia likes it," he smiled. "Seeing that she can't fall asleep without hearing it."

"Then maybe you should learn the lyrics in case I'm out while she wants to sleep."

"I think I already know the lyrics," Remus smiled. "Sing it once again."

She looked at him and smiled. Tonks then rolled her eyes and shook her head as she relaxed and placed her head on his shoulder, snuggling close against him as they held their daughter tightly in their arms, rocking her into a gentle slumber full of happy dreams.

_Little child, be not afraid_

_The rain pounds harsh against the glass, like an unwanted stranger_

_There is no danger, I am here tonight_

_Little child, be not afraid_

_Though thunder explodes and lightning flash_

_Illuminates your tearstained face, I am here tonight_

_And someday you'll know that nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land, and forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

Gentle stirring woke her up. She must have fallen asleep while rocking baby Lydia to sleep. Tonks opened her eyes slowly, yawning for a moment as she felt a blanket being placed gently over her. She sat up from the armchair, realizing she was the only occupant on it now as Remus was lying on the carpeted floor with baby Lydia in his arms. He was playing with her, stirring soft baby laughter and smiles from her as he made silly faces.

Tonks got up and walked over to him, smiling. "How long did I fall asleep?"

"Nearly the entire day," he told her but he still smiled.

She looked outside and saw that the sun was beginning to set. "Oh my god."

"You were tired. Now Lydia's up and she wants to see her mother's silly faces too."

As she crawled onto the floor, Tonks was laughing softly and smiling at the sight of Remus and her baby. They were her family, and her picture was finally complete. She has a lover who loves her with no conditions, and she has a child who was more perfect to her than perfection itself. Nymphadora Tonks had everything she needed in life. Just having them there with her was enough, and she dared to hope that those moments of bliss would last forever.

"What about Eve and Deac?" she wondered.

"They're still here," Remus smiled. "Padfoot wanted to draw a moustache on Lexi's face while she fell asleep a little while ago, but Eve stopped him, threatening him with not coming to see him anymore. By the way, Andromeda and Ted came over earlier. They're out in Diagon Alley now probably, buying some food to cook for dinner."

The words came out of his mouth so easily. Remus was speaking about his family, and he had grown to know them so well that the words fitted perfectly with one another. Tonks sat beside him, her one hand playing with his soft hair while her other was caressing her baby. She smiled as her eyes shifted between Remus' gentle baby blue and Lydia's ever-changing eyes. Remus treated Lydia like his own daughter, and Tonks could not ask for anything better. They were a family, and nothing else was perfect to her except for that image.

She smiled just as Lydia seemed to have laughed at Remus' silly face. "Come now, you laugh for daddy but you don't laugh for mummy?" she teased, speaking in a high baby voice.

Remus turned to look at her, his blue eyes beaming. Those words flowed out of her mouth naturally, as if they were meant to be and they have always been. She referred to him as 'daddy' in front of Lydia, her daughter, and that fact alone made Remus overjoyed. They were a family, him, his daughter, and his soon-to-be wife. He could ask for nothing more. He was a dad.

_For you know, once even I was a little child_

_And I was afraid, but a gentle someone always came_

_To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears_

_And to give a kiss goodnight_

_Well, now I am grown, and these days have shown_

_Rain's a part of how life goes, but it's dark and it's late_

_So I'll hold you and wait, 'til your frightened eyes do close_

_And I hope that you'll know, that nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land, and forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

_Everything's fine in the morning_

_The rain will be gone in the morning_

_But I'll still be here in the morning_


	17. A Guide to Motherhood

**Chapter 17 – A Guide to Motherhood**

In order to distract herself from her desperate curiosity to know what exactly her cousin was planning for her wedding, Tonks decided to busy herself with her mother, learning how to be the best wife and mother she could be. With bubblegum pink hair up in a messy bun held by her wand, Tonks maneuvered carefully through the kitchen, paying more attention to not tripping rather than the cooking itself. Andromeda had handed her the final plate to dry as they finished washing the dishes after dinner. Remus had brought Lydia down for a little bit, but once the baby began yawning, he'd retreated back upstairs. Tonks watched her fiancé go and shook her head, smiling. She was determined to improve herself, for him and for their baby.

"Nymphadora, your grip doesn't have to be so tight," Andromeda told her.

Tonks loosened her death grip on the china plate and continued to dry it as her mother began helping her. "I don't get it. How did I wound up passing auror training, but yet I can't even do a few simple cleaning charms?" Tonks sighed. If only she could properly work the cleaning charms without risks, she wouldn't be stuck doing household chores the muggle way.

"Everyone has something they are good at and something they aren't dear," Andromeda smiled to her daughter. "You're a brilliant auror, but you just have a little more trouble doing household chores than other witches do."

"Merlin," Tonks sighed. "Why can't I be good at both?"

"You're still perfect Dora," her mother smiled.

A heartfelt smile spread across Tonks' lips. She had never appreciated the times before when her mother complemented her. Before, the two women simply were never able to see eye-to-eye. But things were different now and Tonks brightened at her mother's words.

"So mum, do you think I will make a good mother?"

"I know that you will be a wonderful mother."

"But I can't even do these things right," she gestured around the kitchen. "How will I ever be able to be a good mother to Lydia?"

"You can take time to learn to do these things," Andromeda smiled as she imitated Tonks' wild arm gesture. "Being a good mother is difficult, but not impossible, and I have confidence that you will become a great mother."

"But what if I'm not?"

"Nymphadora, being a great mother means that you love your child regardless of anything, and of all people, I know you will be able to do it. You can love anyone and anything with no conditions," Andromeda smiled. She didn't speak the words out loud, but inside her head Andromeda was thinking about her daughter's love for Remus the entire time. Frankly, she knew why Remus had pushed Nymphadora away. He loved her and didn't want to burden her with his difficult lifestyle, and any normal witch would have taken that cue and stepped away. But Nymphadora however, was persistent and never backed away. She loves him and that was the only thing that mattered to her. Out of all people in the world, Andromeda knew that her daughter was one capable of loving someone under no conditions, regardless of what they are.

She nodded with a contemplative look in her eyes as she took the stack of dried plates and began putting them back into the shelves. Tonks did so carefully, praying not to trip as she was trying so hard to become a good mother and a good wife. She wanted to be the best she can for her daughter, and her fiancé.

"And what if my daughter and I become like you and me?" Tonks suddenly asked.

"What do you mean sweetheart?" her mother wondered, putting the leftovers away.

"Well you and me…we used to argue a lot," Tonks told her with uncertainty. A lot was a very big understatement to put it. Tonks remembered especially during the her Hogwarts summers, she and her mother could not go one day without screaming in each other's faces. "We used to argue every day," she added softly.

Andromeda smiled and placed a hand on Tonks' shoulder, beckoning her daughter closer. She held Tonks' face up gently, looking at her daughter closely with a soft and warm smile on her face. Looking at Tonks, there was a strong sense of pride in Andromeda, a sense of pride she'd never shown to her daughter before. She thought that perhaps it was time to acknowledge that pride, seeing that the reckless pink-haired misfit that once was Nymphadora had now grown up into a wonderful mother and soon-to-be wife.

"Sweetheart," Andromeda smiled, allowing her sense of pride in her daughter to be more present than it had ever been before. "Yes we did argue every single day back then, but that was years ago. And you can't deny that those arguments did allow us to learn more about each other and about life." The smile on her face grew softer and softer. "Though it wasn't always fun, arguing and having disagreements is just a part of life and parenthood itself. We both have a different way of thinking and disagreements are inevitable. What matter…is that we are able to look pass that and continue on loving each other." She placed a gentle kiss on Tonks' forehead, an act that Andromeda always did ever since her little girl was a mere baby in her arms.

Tonks looked at her mother with an even greater sense of understanding. She hadn't argued with Andromeda lately. They were even bonding over simple matters, and they were getting along. She wondered if it could simply be the unexplainable magic of becoming a mother herself. She looked at her mother with soft eyes, regretting all those years she wanted to get away from Andromeda and all those times she argued.

"But I was such a terrible daughter," she said softly, her voice breaking as memories came to her mind.

She remembered clearly those nights that echoed with the deafening silence. No matter what the weather was outside, inside their house it was always like a storm. Tonks remembered screaming to her mother at the top of her lungs over silly disagreements. She remembered saying hurtful things to Andromeda, and she regretted every single word she said. Late in those nights, she could hear her mother confide in her dad. She could hear her mother's frustrated cries and wonders on why mother and daughter couldn't get along. Overtaken by anger back then, she didn't care. But now, she wanted to take back all the hurtful things she said and all the times they argued. Tonks wanted to exchange all those stormy nights for softer, quieter ones where she could simply bond with the strong woman that was her mother. In Nymphadora Tonks' mind, no one was stronger than Andromeda Tonks née Black. She looked at her mother closely during that moment and noted the fact that Andromeda looked more aged, with more lines on her face and more visible grey in her long brown hair. Her eyes grew sad, seeing that her mother was succumbing to age and the weariness that came along with it.

"You are not a terrible daughter. You never were and you never will be."

Andromeda reassured her little girl. She smiled at Tonks, seeing that her little girl had reached a new stage in life, a stage of understanding. They no longer argued, and she was thankful for that. Every woman has a little girl in their life, and Andromeda was glad that hers was becoming closer to her again. She sighed. There were certain stages and levels of closeness in life that she finally came to understand thanks to the brilliant young woman in front of her.

"Mum, all those times when we argued and I said those hurtful things…"

"I've been through your stage dear. But now you've reached a new stage in life, and the past is behind us. We can't turn back time…even if we are magical folks. But we can make way for the future. Look," she smiled and neatened her daughter's hair. "We're not arguing anymore. In fact, I can't remember the last time we argued."

After forcing herself past her feelings of regret, Tonks managed a smile and placed her hand over her mother's. "I love you mum," she told her mother. It was something she should have told Andromeda every single day of her life, but through their many arguments she never did. Now, she felt like she could do it again, just like when she was small.

Tonks then realized that life was a lot like a circle, never-ending and it goes around and around. When she was little, she would tell her mother she loved her every single day. When she got a little bit older, she would argue and disagree with her mother every day. And now in a new stage of life, she was back to loving and understanding her mother. And she knew that soon, one day would come where life's stress and burdens would get to her and she would go back to the arguing stage. It was like a never-ending circle. But like her mother has said: the only thing that matter is that they are able to look past all of that and still love each other regardless.

"I love you, little child," Andromeda smiled. Though Tonks had grown and was a mother herself now, Nymphadora Tonks will always be her little child, her little girl in her mind. It was something she wanted to say to her daughter every single day of her life, but through all the arguments they couldn't. And now was her chance to do so.

"Mum, I haven't been able to spend time with you, just our time, in forever."

"Yes, that is true. It's been years since we had a day just for the two of us."

"Tomorrow we should go to Diagon Alley. Remus would gladly take care of Lydia for a day. Lexi's busy planning the wedding and she'll be glad to have me off her back…and Sirius…well he can just be glad we're not there to yell at him," Tonks smiled.

Passing up a chance to spend quality time with her daughter would make her a fool, and Andromeda Tonks was no fool. She grinned, a grin that removed her from her usual self and made her daughter's eyes glisten with excitement. Andromeda nodded excited, acting many years younger. Seeing the happiness in her daughter's eyes, she made note to grin and show her happiness more often and much more obviously.

The mother and daughter gradually returned to their work in the kitchen, except now with subtle smiles on their beautiful similar faces. Tonks began planning where she could take her mom in Diagon Alley, to show her mother more about herself. Andromeda was planning the places she could take her daughter, to let Tonks understand more a bit about the rebellious woman of the Black family. On their next visit to Diagon Alley, they would be searching for understanding of each other.

* * *

><p>It'd been so long since she had the chance to roam around the familiar streets of Diagon Alley with her mother. Having grown up, her signature bubblegum pink hair was still her normal preference and favorite, but Tonks didn't find a desperate need to have it as pink. Instead, that day she felt that she should wear it her natural color, a long mousy brown that looked just like her mother's. The two women walked together, smiling together as mother and daughter. They looked nearly identical with only age being their difference. Passing by store windows and seeing their reflections upon the glass, Tonks noted how much she does look like her mother, and felt a sense of pride from her natural state.<p>

Laughing as they walked out of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks walked with their arms linked close together. Never before had she thought that her mother was the funny kind of person. In fact, Tonks had always thought that Andromeda was opposed to anything funny, but now she thought differently, especially after Tonks had accidentally spilled her first bowl of ice cream and attempted to deny it, causing the waiter to trip and send more bowls of colorful desserts into the air. Andromeda had broken out of her shell and was laughing hysterically, much like Tonks was doing herself. Their laughter was similar, like mother like daughter, and Tonks realized that if Andromeda's childhood hadn't been spent with the Black family, Andromeda and her would be no different at all.

"Where should we go next?" Tonks asked, recovering from her laughter as they walked out of the shop, pulling themselves away from the still laughing crowd inside.

Once they entered the street, Andromeda had quickly recovered as well, but a smile still remained on her lips. "How about Flourish and Blotts?" she suggested. "Don't you have anything you should be getting Remus?"

Tonks thought for a moment and finally remembered. "Yes! He said he wanted to buy this new novel from his favorite author, the guy whose name I can't pronounce."

"Nymphadora dear, pay more attention to your fiancé. You'll be husband and wives soon," Andromeda sighed and smiled. "To be a good wife, you don't have to drown him in useless gifts, but occasionally you should surprise him with something he likes."

"And I guess in this case, Remus likes books so I should get him a book," Tonks added for her mother. "And maybe chocolate too," she mused. "Remus loves chocolate."

"Then we could visit Sugarplum's Sweets Shop after this."

"But I can't remember the title of the book he wanted," Tonks told her.

She rolled her eyes and shook her. "The book is titled 'The Life of a Prankster' my dear. He's been talking about it all week. I'm sure even careless Padfoot would have known the title."

"Oh you're making me feel bad. Who's the author again mum?"

Andromeda was quiet for a moment and looked at Tonks with a small smile and a guilty look. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't pronounce the name either."

Tonks laughed, realizing that she didn't have to feel entirely bad. "Let's go mum, into Flourish and Blotts," she smiled as they walked into the store.

The book shop had a musky smell to it, being somewhat familiar and Tonks was reminded of Remus' love for books. She looked around, nearly lost when all four walls and the many shelves of the shop were lined with books. She had no idea where to start looking for Remus' book, especially when the books were listed by author, and neither Tonks nor Andromeda had any idea who the author was.

"Bugger all," Tonks groaned, thinking she'll have a higher chance of getting lost than finding her book for Remus.

"Watch your language Nymphadora," Andromeda reminded her.

"Mum, I'm twenty-two for god's sake."

"You still have to watch what you say. Next thing you know, Lydia's going to start talking soon and she'll imitate you and your preferences for curses," Andromeda told her.

"Yes mother," Tonks sighed, feeling like a little kid again. At the thought of feeling like a little child again, Tonks smiled however.

A few feet away from them, Tonks had spotted a red headed woman just after Andromeda had also. She suddenly found herself being pulled over towards the kind faced red headed woman by her mother. For a moment she wondered why, but she then saw that the woman was holding the book they were looking for. The book had the title "The Life of a Prankster", and below it was the odd looking name of the author that they couldn't pronounce.

"Good evening Molly," Andromeda greeted kindly with a bright smile.

"Oh good evening Andromeda," the woman looked up and smiled with genuine kindness.

"Molly this is my daughter Nymphadora…"

"Tonks," she coughed and added in.

"Tonks," Andromeda smiled. "Dora this is my friend Molly Weasley. She's Arthur's wife. I'm sure you've heard of Arthur Weasley at the Ministry."

"Yeah I have," Tonks smiled, recalling the kind man with the flaming red hair that always helped her pick up her things whenever she fell into the lifts with him in them. "Wotcher Molly," she greeted.

"Oh I've heard so much about you," Molly Weasley smiled. "Andromeda had talked about you non-stop the last time we saw each other. I heard you've given birth. Oh the first time must have been scary. And Andromeda mentioned you're with Remus now. Oh Remus and I had known each other for a while back. We sort of lost contact however, but no matter. Do come over with your mother soon and bring Remus as well."

She could only smile and nod at the kind woman, being unsure of how to reply with just as much generosity and kindness.

"It's good seeing you Molly. All the kids are well I hope," Andromeda spoke.

"Oh yes. Ronald's helping Harry and their friend Hermione out with the Triwizard Tournament. I am so proud of him. Ginny's doing well in her third year and she's growing up so fast. Percy's just getting used to his job at the Ministry. That boy makes me happy. The twins are still up to their mischievous ways and that worries me, but hopefully as they get older they'll become more serious about something. As for Bill, he's back in Egypt for work. And Charlie's too busy with his dragons to write anymore but at least he drops in a little more often around this time of the year." She was so happy talking about her _many_ children.

Tonks' eyes lit up. She had nearly forgotten that Molly and Arthur Weasley were the parents to her good friends from Hogwarts, Bill and Charlie Weasley. Now she knew why the Weasley children were such good people, because their parents were too good as well.

"By the way Molly, we were wondering where you got that book. Dora and I have been looking for it for a while."

"Oh just a little bit down this aisle right here," Molly Weasley showed them. "It's on your right. I'm afraid I better get going. I've got to make dinner for Arthur. Do drop by soon, the both of you," she smiled and waved as she scurried out towards the register.

"She's Bill and Charlie's mum," Tonks commented.

"The two boys you dated back in Hogwarts?" Andromeda questioned.

"Yes. She seems like a great woman."

"Molly's wonderful. Being a mother to seven kids is really a tough thing and she's pulling it off just fine."

"Seven kids? Merlin," Tonks replied as they pulled the book out of the shelf.

"Yes. And she basically adopts in anyone she sees that is younger than herself. Being a good mother isn't that hard sweetheart. You've just got to genuinely care for your children and do your best to see them happy."

Tonks nodded, mentally taking notes as they headed for the register themselves. "Wait a minute. Did Molly just say one of her sons was helping out Harry with the Triwizard Tournament? She's not talking about our Harry is she? Harry Potter?"

"She's talking about Harry Potter dear," Andromeda smiled. "Her son Ron and Harry are friends. I'm sure if you ask Sirius, Harry may have mentioned about his friends in his letters."

"Bugger, I didn't even notice. I'm going to be a terrible mother," she sighed.

"That doesn't make you a terrible mother sweetheart. That just makes you not a very observant person and I suggest you work on that since your career choice is an auror after all. I do not wish anything bad to happen to my daughter just because she was inobservant."

* * *

><p>After their visit to Sugarplum's Sweets Shop, Tonks and Andromeda must have gotten what seemed like a year's worth of chocolate as they had to shrink the oversize parcel in order to even carry it properly.<p>

Their next stop was Twilfit and Tattings, an upper class clothing store that Andromeda had always loved to shop at. When Tonks walked into the shop, she was surprised by the many beautiful and expensive clothes that hung on the hangers and were being displayed all over the store. She'd never bought herself anything that expensive, having chosen to spend her money on sweets, butterbeer and firewhiskey instead. She looked around, seeing the sections for adults, teenagers, kids, and infants. Her eyes immediately fell on a pretty little pink dress that she can imagine would look stunning on her lovely daughter, at least once she got big enough to wear it.

"What are we buying here mum?"

"Baby clothes," Andromeda replied. "We need to get Lydia some formal baby clothes."

She didn't question why. Tonks had always loved buying clothes for her daughter and would use any excuse she can to go shopping for baby clothes. Her mind was temporarily distracted however when she spotted a good looking jumper for men on her far right. She smiled. That tan colored jumper looked comfortable and would look great on Remus.

"Can we go to get a jumper for Remus first?" Tonks asked Andromeda.

"I thought you'd never ask," her mother smiled. "Although, please tell me you know my son-in-law's size."

"Of course I know his size mum," Tonks responded and smiled when Andromeda referred to Remus as her son-in-law.

"Good because if you didn't, you would have failed at being a good wife," her mother teased and caused Tonks her grin childishly at her.

When she picked the last jumper up however, another hand had grabbed it at almost the same time she did. Tonks always hated fighting for clothes at a store, but it was the last jumper, for Remus, and she wasn't going to let anyone take it. She looked up, ready to rip it out of whoever's hand that is, until she saw the surprised face of Narcissa Malfoy looking back at them. Tonks could feel her mother stiffen right beside her. Narcissa Malfoy gave her a cold glare and Tonks returned it, throwing in a little bit of malice into the mix.

"Andromeda," Narcissa Malfoy spoke, trying to ignore Tonks.

"Madam Malfoy," Andromeda replied coldly, not even acknowledging her own sister.

Narcissa Malfoy was a tall, slim, nice looking woman, very pale with blue eyes and long black and blonde hair. For a moment, Tonks thought the woman's hair looked an awful lot like Alexis' but spotted the difference with Alexis' hair being more wild and rebellious while Narcissa's was more sophisticated and mature. She however did resemble the rest of their family, from the Black family to Sirius, Alexis, and Andromeda, with her arrogant good looks.

The woman's jaw tightened when Andromeda refused to even acknowledge her as her younger sister. They had once been so close but now they felt like acquaintances on the street.

"You wanted this jumper too," Narcissa spoke, glaring down at Tonks.

"Yes," Tonks replied, debating whether she should be polite to her aunt or insult her.

"I want it for my husband." Narcissa's cool voice reached Tonks' stubborn ears.

"And I want it for my husband too. Now give," Tonks replied almost childishly.

"You have a husband?" the woman questioned and for a short instant Tonks saw a look of care and a ghost of a smile on the woman's face. Her coldness seemed to have decreased.

"And a daughter," Andromeda added, looking at her sister with warmer eyes now. Being sisters, she must have noticed the almost unnoticed change in the ice queen's face.

"What's her name?" Narcissa asked though her lips were pressed tightly together.

"Lydia," Andromeda replied.

"Who does she look like?"

"She's a metamorphmagus like me," Tonks told her aunt and Narcissa stiffened again.

"Naturally, she looks a lot like all of us," Andromeda added and an unreadable look fell over Narcissa Malfoy's face. "She looks like my daughter Nymphadora, like me, like Sirius, like Alexis…" Tonks and her mother noticed that a distant look fell over Narcissa's eyes at the mentioning of her family members' names, but the aristocratic woman refused to acknowledge it. "And you…and Bella…"

That was the turning point. Tonks noticed now that both her mother and Narcissa Malfoy wore a similar look of longing in their eyes, but once again they chose to ignore or rather avoid it. Tonks wondered if her daughter really does look that much like the Black family. A picture of Lydia's natural face popped into her mind and Tonks nearly gasped at how much her child does take after her family, the entire Black family.

"You may have this jumper…Nymphadora," Narcissa Malfoy told her and began walking away. "Goodbye Andy…"

"…goodbye Cissy," Andromeda sighed and continued shopping with Tonks.

"Mum, are you alright?" Tonks asked, looking down at her mother and glancing at the back of the woman who was walking out of the store.

"Yes," Andromeda replied. "It's just that I didn't expect to see my little sister tonight."

"We can go home if you want to."

"No. Narcissa and I are both witches. We'll run into each other time and again. It's best if we get used to it," Andromeda told Tonks and nudged her to continue their shopping. "I wonder how she is. I heard her boy Draco's quite an unpleasant student at Hogwarts."

"Is she a good mother mum?"

For a moment Andromeda was quiet in thought, but she soon answered Tonks' question. "She's a good mother, affectionate, and caring. That's really all you need to be a good mother, to care about your children. There's really no line between being a good mother and a bad mother," Andromeda sighed. "Sometimes, we try but it just doesn't work out. So everything's left up to fate. As a mother, you're lucky if you're able to spend quality time with your children," she patted Tonks' hand. "So don't waste any second of it," she smiled warmly, motherly.


	18. Lullaby for a Stormy Night

**Chapter 18 – Lullaby for a Stormy Night**

_Little child, be not afraid_

_The rain pounds harsh against the glass_

_Like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger_

_I am here tonight_

_Little child, be not afraid_

_Though thunder explodes and lightning flash_

_Illuminates your tearstained face_

_I am here tonight_

While Tonks and Andromeda were out of the house, Remus and Sirius were left to watch over baby Lydia. Alexis had gone over to Deacon's house for the night. Ted was forced to stay late at his office due to a work pile up. And Evelyn was stuck on a tricky case at the auror office.

The night grew from quiet to stormy in an instant. Where Alexis' house was located, it was raining hard outside with a thunderstorm brewing and coming quickly. Remus held Lydia protectively, cooing to her while Sirius ran around closing all the windows. He looked up from his child to his friend and wondered if it was such a good idea leaving two Marauders alone with an infant baby on a stormy night, neither of which having any experience on babysitting.

The tea kettle in the kitchen began to whistle and thinking it was unsafe to bring an infant anywhere near the kitchen, Remus called out to Sirius. "Padfoot can you hold Lydia so I can make the tea?" he asked.

"Sure thing," Sirius smiled. "Where's my baby cousin," he spoke, gently taking the stirring baby from his best friend's arms.

Hoping that the baby would be alright with Sirius for just a few minutes, Remus headed into the kitchen to remove the tea kettle from the stove and stopping its whistle. He took out two mugs and began making tea. He could have simply taken out his wand and charmed it for the task to be done, but Remus had always enjoyed the physical process of doing it more. It gave him time to think, about anything and everything.

Standing at the kitchen window, Remus smiled and looked up, staring out into the dark night where rain was falling onto the miles of rolling hills and trees that was their backyard. He imagined it when it was bright and sunny. His wandering mind began picturing a nice summer day, warm enough to go outside. He could see himself with Nymphadora and their child in their arms, taking long walks in that golden meadow he'd found just a few miles from the house. Without even realizing it, a soft smile had danced across his lips. Had it been years ago and those quiet thoughts wandered into his mind, Remus Lupin then would have deemed them silly, dreams, and impossible. But now, the Remus Lupin now deemed them as plans for the future. He does plan on taking Nymphadora and Lydia out on a beautiful summer day for a walk in the golden meadow. In fact, he plans on being with them for the rest of his life.

He returned to making tea after allowing his thoughts to wander for just a few more minutes. Remus always made tea, it was his preferred drink. But he doesn't remember ever smiling while making it however. Now he was smiling. There were simply too many reasons to smile about. He had his best friend, his brother back. There was a young woman who was his advice column and was like his little sister. And then there was Nymphadora, his fiancée, his soon to be wife, and their child, Lydia. The fact was that Lydia wasn't biologically his child, but that fact was an unnecessary detail. Remus never really lingered on that fact, and he treated Lydia like she was his own. Because if another person, any other were to look at them, Lydia would seem exactly like she was his child, especially when her hair randomly morphs to look like his. They were father and daughter in all aspects.

Once he finished, Remus brought two steaming cups of tea back into the living room where he expected to see Sirius sitting quietly with baby Lydia. He didn't see what he'd expected however. Instead, he saw that Sirius was already trying to teach Lydia a prank—before she could even talk! Quickly he placed the tea down and crossed his arms at Sirius who was instructing Lydia on how to set up an undetectable dungbomb. He gave Sirius a look and only when Remus cleared his throat did Sirius finally look up.

Sirius looked at Remus with a guilty look and a slanted smile. "Hello Moony."

"Padfoot, what in the world were you doing?" Remus asked dryly.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Sirius laughed nervously.

"Why is there a dungbomb in your hand?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

"I…I found this on the floor!" he declared. "Merlin Lexi is so careless with her pranks," Sirius continued. "We have a baby in the house for god's sake."

"Padfoot…Lexi doesn't like to use dungbombs in her house."

"Oh that's right," Sirius laughed again, growing more nervous. "She says they're too messy. Hmm, how did this little dungbomb get here then?" He was feigning innocence.

"Give me my baby," Remus spoke, already taking Lydia from Sirius' arms.

He turned his back to his friend, knowing that Sirius would stay in place for a while, wondering why Remus hadn't cursed him yet. Remus quickly carried baby Lydia upstairs, climbing the steps carefully two at a time. He placed Lydia down in her crib and made sure she was safe and secured before leaving the room, hopefully for only a few short minutes.

When Remus appeared at the stairs again, Sirius took a deep breath, wondering what his friend was up to. There was no predicting what kind of fatherly wrath Sirius would have to endure, especially from Remus Lupin whom he considered a papa wolf.

"Padfoot, why were you teaching my child a prank?" Remus asked calmly.

"C'mon Moony, Lydia's going to be the next generation of Marauders."

"You're teaching a child, barely one month old, how to set up an undetectable dungbomb," Remus sighed.

"And she'll have a head start on the mischief making now doesn't she?"

"You do not teach a baby a prank, Padfoot."

"You can't honestly say she won't grow up to be like her mother and father," he winked.

"My daughter will be a good student, thank you very much," Remus sighed.

Sirius' heart froze when he saw Remus draw his wand. He wondered what his friend was planning on doing. Surely just a simple prank didn't deserve any painful spells or hexes. He then took back his thought. He didn't know how papa wolf would react, but Sirius Black knew that had it been Tonks, otherwise known as mama wolf, she would have screamed at the top of her lungs at him and literally hexed him right into the middle of next week.

Lost in his thoughts for a moment, Sirius didn't react quickly enough when Remus suddenly hexed him with some crazy spell.

"Bloody hell papa wolf!" Sirius cried when his legs suddenly began dancing.

Remus stood back, put his wand away, and crossed his arms as he watched his friend fall victim to the 'Dancing Legs Jinx'.

"Moony make it stop!" Sirius cried again when his legs began dancing to the cancan.

He let out a soft chuckle watching Sirius Black dancing to the cancan. Remus stroked his chin with a lopsided, wolfish grin on his face. He hadn't had the chance, or proper excuse that is to embarrass Sirius in a long while. He only wished that there was an actual audience to watch this. The thought of Sirius Black dancing to the cancan alone would have been enough to put Nymphadora into a laughing fit of hysteria. Had she been able to see it in person now, she would have fallen to the ground, pounding her fist as her laughter rang loudly through the house.

"Make it stop Moony!" Sirius pleaded, his face growing red with embarrassment as the cancan picked up speed. He was lucky there was no one else watching this. "Make it stop! Please! I'm begging here!" he cried. "For god's sake you stupid Marauder! You are so bloody evil!" he began yelling now, glancing at his reflection in the window. Even Sirius had to admit he looked ridiculous.

Casually, Remus ignored Sirius' cries. "You do not teach a baby a prank Padfoot!" he called to his friend while turning on the old record player in the corner of the room. The song he picked…was the lively orchestrated version of the cancan.

For a long while he allowed himself to laugh at his best friend. The song continued to play with its uplifting music while Sirius Black himself danced to it. His legs moved higher and even Sirius was surprised that his body was even capable of dancing like that. Remus laughed, realizing he should use these methods of punishment much more often.

"Remus bloody Lupin! This is not funny!" Sirius cried. "This is bloody ridiculous! All I did was teach your daughter how to pull a simple prank."

"This wasn't your first time Padfoot. Do you want me to leave you like this until everyone else gets home?"

"No please! This is bloody embarrassing you stupid git!"

Remus chuckled. "Then swear that you won't teach Lydia pranks anymore."

"But!"

"I don't mind leaving you like this. In fact I'm sure Nymphadora would rather enjoy it."

"Alright, alright!" Sirius cried over the music. "I swear! Now please make it stop. It's hurting my legs!" he continued.

With a wave of his wand, Remus stopped both Sirius' ridiculous dancing and the music on the record player. He laughed at his best friend, wondering how Nymphadora would react had she seen her cousin dancing like that. He wondered how Andromeda, Alexis, and Ted would react as well and wished he'd gotten the moment captured somehow.

"Moony you are bloody evil!" Sirius whined while Remus continued to laugh.

A crack of lighting struck outside along with a sound of thunder. Remus turned around immediately, just fast enough to see the streak of lightning flash through the window. Having become a father, he knew that the sound and flash would have scared his little child and immediately ran up the stairs, hastily taking two at a time. They could hear baby Lydia's squeal from her nursery and ran in there as quick as possible. Remus got in first with Sirius close in his wake, forgetting about Sirius' embarrassment just moments ago.

The infant was wailing in her crib, her hair having turned to her natural state, deep velvet black. She must have been sleeping until the thunder and lightning woke her up. Remus quickly but carefully and as gently as ever picked her up, rocking her back and forth in his arms as he cooed to her and tried to calm her.

"Bugger. What do we do?" Sirius spoke, beginning to panic.

"Can you get me her bottle?" Remus asked quickly. His laughter and amusement was long forgotten as the child in his arms was top priority. She and her mother were always top in his world, always.

"Yes! Bottle, um bottle," Sirius spoke as he turned around, panicking as he searched for his baby cousin's bottle. He wasn't good with kids and even he knew that.

"It's downstairs in the kitchen. I just made her a new one a while ago and it should be on the counter," Remus told his panicking best friend.

"Right…counter," Sirius continued to speak over the baby's wails. He scurried downstairs, stumbling for a moment but quickly catching himself. When he reached the stairs, Sirius jumped down two to three steps at a time. He could hear Lydia's wailing from there and his heart raced. On one part, he was worried about his dear baby cousin. On another part, he was worried how her mother would react if she found out her beloved daughter was that scared.

"Oh shite," Sirius breathed. "I can't find the bottle!" he called up to Remus.

Knowing that Remus wasn't going to scream back at him less he made the baby scream even louder, Sirius quickly reverted into one thing. If he couldn't find it, he'd have to make it himself. But Sirius Black had never made a bottle. He didn't even know how to get the powder to turn to milk without using magic.

* * *

><p>As Sirius was busy downstairs, Remus continued to rock his baby daughter back and forth in his arms. Another streak of lightning flashed and the thunder sounded. His daughter only screamed and cried louder, tears coming out of her beautiful eyes now as they were snapped shut in fear. He held Lydia close, holding her tightly as he whispered soft, hopefully soothing words into her ear. Her tiny fingers had latched onto the collar of his shirt and her grip was tight, even for an infant child. She continued to cry, being fearful of the thunder outside. His mind began thinking at a speed he never thought was possible. Remus searched for ways to sooth his daughter, making her stop crying. Only one idea came clearly to him.<p>

If Lydia only ever fell asleep when he was holding her tightly and Nymphadora was singing to her, then perhaps the song was what he was missing. Remus paced around. He couldn't call Nymphadora back. It would take too long. He could sing the song for her. After all, he did come to memorize the soothing words. And he didn't think he was too bad of a singer.

"Hush," he whispered to her, kissing the child's cheeks as he recalled the words. Remus began singing, and that was his first time singing to anyone but himself.

_Little child, be not afraid_

_The rain pounds harsh against the glass_

_Like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger_

_I am here tonight_

His voice grew softer as a tune of music began in his song. He sang and tried to hit all the gentle notes as Lydia's grip seemed to have loosened on his shirt. Remus sang even softer to her, like soothing whispers into his child's ear.

_Little child, be not afraid_

_Though thunder explodes and lightning flash_

_Illuminates your tearstained face_

_I am here tonight_

Forgetting the rest, he was forced to pause for a moment to think. Remus remembered how Nymphadora would sing and nodded his head, replaying her soft and soothing voice back in his mind. He tried to hit all the notes and to sing the song like she did. He sang it softly and soon the rest of the words returned to his mind.

_And someday you'll know, that nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land, and forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

_Little child, be not afraid_

_The storm clouds mask your beloved moon_

_And its candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams_

_I am here tonight_

_Little child, be not afraid_

_The wind makes creatures of our trees_

_And the branches to hands, they're not real, understand_

_And I am here tonight_

With a hot bottle of baby milk in his hands, Sirius raced back up the stairs. He slowed down halfway however, but he didn't stop moving. There were no cries. Instead Sirius swore that he heard soft singing, like a familiar lullaby. His brows furrowed together, wondering what kind of magic Remus had used on his baby cousin that had caused the wailing baby to calm down.

He walked up to the doorway and looked inside. Remus didn't notice him, but Sirius could see clearly, the papa wolf, rocking his baby to sleep with a gentle lullaby for the stormy night. A smile fell on Sirius' face. First, he'd never heard Remus sing. That was a bonus for the night, and he thought his best friend, his brother was actually quite a good singer. Second, just the sight of Remus rocking his baby to sleep made him smile.

Sirius sighed. He could still remember those long nights he spent with the Marauder. He'd heard Remus' many sighs and woes on how he would spend the rest of his life alone forever because he was a monster and no one would love him. There they were, many years later. Remus hadn't changed one bit and his curse of lycanthropy still never went away. But Remus was no monster. One who could worriedly pace back and forth with his infant child in his arms while singing her a lullaby in the middle of a stormy night could be no monster. And Remus Lupin was loved. Sirius never told him, but he loved him as a brother. And he knew that Tonks loves Remus. He knew Andromeda and Ted and Alexis love Remus. And Lydia loves Remus. So Remus' many woes and worries from years ago were all untrue.

Thinking now that the baby had fallen asleep in Remus' arms, he wouldn't need the bottle anymore. Sirius thought he was lucky, because he didn't even know if he made the milk right. He'd poured ten scoops of the powder into the bottle and the warm water from the tea kettle into the mix. It looked like milk, but he didn't want to risk his sweet baby cousin Lydia getting sick because of it.

"She asleep Moony?" he asked, smiling from the doorway.

Remus looked up quietly and nodded as a smile appeared on his face. "The little girl likes to hear people singing," he told him.

"Like a true papa wolf," Sirius teased and crossed his arms, smiling at the sight.

_And someday you'll know, that nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land, and forest and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

_For you know, once even I_

_Was a little child, and I was afraid_

_But a gentle someone always came_

_To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears_

_And to give a kiss goodnight_

_Well, now I am grown, and these days have shown_

_Rain's a part of how life goes_

_But it's dark and it's late, so I'll hold you and wait_

_'til your frightened eyes do close_

_And I hope that you'll know, that nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land, and forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

_Everything's fine in the morning_

_The rain will be gone in the morning_

_But I'll still be here in the morning_

In her ears she could hear the soft and gentle voice of a man, singing to her a lullaby as his warm and protecting arms rocked her to sleep. He sang the song that she'd heard a woman sing, her mother. She heard that song every night, but never before had she heard it coming from the man's loving and reassuring voice. His voice was her father's voice, her one and only father. And the infant child drifted off into a soft and soothing slumber, hearing the song over and over again in her mind in the voice of both her mother and father. She slept on, even through the stormy night with her father singing to her.

* * *

><p>Her mousy brown hair was dripping wet as she walked in through the front door following her mother. Tonks was surprised at the silence of the house and her soft footsteps felt like invading thunder in the quiet house. Her mother quickly dried her and herself off with a wandless spell and they looked around.<p>

"It looks like your father still isn't back yet. I wonder where the others went."

Sirius came up from the kitchen with a finger over his lips as he hushed them. "Lexi went over to Deacon's house for a little bit. Remus is upstairs rocking Lydia to sleep and I'm trying to make baby milk."

Tonks and Andromeda smiled, seeing the powder smeared on his face and a bottle in his hand. "Let me help you with that Sirius," Andromeda sighed as she patted Tonks' shoulder before walking over. "Dora dear, why don't you go up and check on Remus and Lydia."

Listening to her mother, Tonks set their bags down on the sofa and made her way upstairs. She took soft and quiet steps, feeling like if they were any louder they would sound like thunder in the middle of the stormy night. She treaded her way upstairs and made a turn into the sweet little nursery of her baby daughter. There she found Remus, her fiancé who was already like her husband, rocking their infant child to sleep.

He was situated on the rocking chair, the baby in both his arms, held protectively and tightly. His hair was messy and disheveled, perhaps from him running his hand through it too much out of worry. His cardigan was lying on the armchair while his jumper was loose on his frail frame. A book was floating in the air and its pages magically turning as he read it. Remus was humming the tune of a soft lullaby that Tonks would sing to Lydia every single night before she fell asleep. Looking at the sight, she could only smile while her heart felt warm and happiness surged through her like water.

"Wotcher sweetheart," she called softly, speaking barely above a whisper.

"Hello love," Remus smiled and kissed her lips as she leaned down to him.

"Did the storm outside scare her?"

"It did. And for a moment scared the life out of Padfoot and me."

"And I see you've calmed her down," she smiled to him and at their sleeping baby.

"Our little girl likes to be sang to," he smiled.

"She has a love for music. Like mother like daughter," Tonks smiled.

"How did your day spent with your mother go?"

"Wonderful," she told him as her smile grew softer and warmer, motherly. "She called you her son-in-law."

Remus beamed significantly and so did Tonks. They both looked at each other and smiled, feeling the warm feeling of their family all around them. Neither could ask for anything more as they already had the world in their arms. Tonks leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips, lacking no passion or emotions, even with her gentleness. She held their baby with him, one hand holding his face, one hand holding her daughter. Remus held her close to him, one hand on Nymphadora and one hand securely holding their daughter. He couldn't ask for anything more.


	19. Happiness Has No Price

**Chapter 19 – Happiness Has No Price**

April and they had been lucky that the weather seemed to be sunny the whole day. It was morning then and Tonks had woken up from a very restless night of sleep. She'd been tossing and turning in her bed the whole night, nervous and flustered for the coming day. It was a day that marked the start of a new era for every woman's life. It was the day that she, Nymphadora Tonks, would be getting married to the man that was her true love, Remus Lupin. It was their wedding day, and the nervousness was inevitable.

Outside her window she saw the bright blue sky with the white clouds and silver lining. She could hear the voices of people downstairs. It was a small wedding they were having, with no more than ten or so guests, because Remus wanted to keep it quiet. It wasn't because he loved her any less, but it was because he loves her so much that he wanted to keep it down low. The later people begin associating her with a werewolf, the better it would be for her he thought. But Tonks didn't care. All she knew was that they were finally getting married, and her dream was finally coming true at last, after so much time.

Sitting in her bedroom overtop of her cousin's vast and endless backyard, Tonks' heart was pounding up a storm inside her chest. Her hands were placed over one another in traditional silky white gloves. She wore a beautiful white wedding dress, strapless with elegant floral designs on it and a short hem so that she wouldn't trip. Tonks' hair was pink that day, a brilliant, almost blinding color of bubblegum pink. It matched her engagement ring, and it matched the many decorations outside. At least that was what her cousins had said a few minutes ago.

Andromeda Tonks was standing behind her daughter, making sure everything was flawless on her daughter's big day. A smile was plastered onto her face as her joy was indescribable. She could only look at Tonks, the wonderful little girl of hers, and smile.

"Mum, I'm nervous," Tonks breathed.

"It's ok to be nervous sweetheart, this is your big day," she smiled.

"What if I trip going down the aisle?" Tonks worried.

Her mother placed her warm hands on Tonks' shoulder for reassurance. "Sweetheart, watching you growing up, there's something that I've noticed about your clumsiness," she spoke softly. "It knows when to show up and when to disappear. Like that time when Alexis was having a bad day when you were a kid, I remembered when you tripped into the mud puddle, it got her laughing again. And during your auror missions, you've never tripped and endangered yourself. Your clumsiness really has good timing sweetheart. And it won't show up now."

She smiled softly. "But what if Remus thinks I'm a terrible wife?"

"He won't think that. He loves you sweetheart."

"But I have my moments where I am just unbearable sometimes. You know that."

"We all do," Andromeda reassured her angst-filled daughter. "Let me tell you something from the mind of a married woman. Sometimes, between you and your husband, there are those moments where you just want to throttle each other. You are up in each other's faces, neither backing down while screaming at the top of your lungs to each other. Sometimes, blinded by the moment, you might end up saying something hurtful. But at the end of the day, when you've finally calmed down and looked at each other's faces, you just feel like nothing will be right again until you see that person smile. And you fall into each other's arms, apologizing and returning back to your undying romance." She smiled with a distant gaze.

"Is that how you feel about dad?" Tonks asked.

"Every moment of every day," Andromeda smiled. "And I must admit, your father does make me want to throttle him sometimes, but like I said, at the end of the day, everything somehow rights itself and you're back to square one, being hopelessly in love with each other."

"But mum, face it, the marriage you have with dad only happens to one person out of a million. All my life, I'm never that lucky," Tonks sighed.

"Nymphadora, don't tell me you're having second thoughts about this marriage."

"I'm not, I'm just…I'm worried," she sighed again. "I love him, but I'm afraid marriage would ruin us. Like all those divorce cases Lexi gets every day. Marriage ruins people."

"That's what life makes you believe sweetheart." She spoke softly, sitting down beside Tonks on her bed and taking her daughter's hands. "You go through life and there are many trials. Those trials, their goal is to get you to give up. That's what happened to all those marriages, they simply gave up loving one another. But you shouldn't. My daughter would never give up. Sweetheart, you've pulled this far getting Remus to admit his love for you. You had so many chances to give up before, but you never did. And I know you wouldn't give up now, or anytime in the future. You've just got to believe that your love is strong enough and not give up, like all those other marriages. It's something so simple that we choose to overlook. So sweetheart, you've pulled through so much to get here. Don't give up, ever."

She nodded and smiled. Before, her mother's words would go through one ear and out the other. But now, each and every word that her mother gave to her, stayed in her heart in a very special place, never to be forgotten. Tonks smiled and she looked at her hands, held inside her mother's hand and she tightened the hold.

"What?" Tonks asked softly, smiling as her mother was looking at her with a soft gaze.

"Nothing," Andromeda shook her head, her eyes trying to hold back emotions.

"Mum, you're looking at me funny."

Andromeda shook her head again and hugged Tonks tightly, lovingly. When she pulled back, there was a teary smile on her face and small traces of tears were lingering in the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall had she been weaker at repressing her emotions.

"I'm proud of you sweetheart," she told Tonks and kissed Tonks' forehead while holding her little girl's face with gentle hands. "I've been waiting so long for this day."

She placed her palms over her mother's hands on her face and Tonks' smile became teary as well. "Mum," she muttered.

"When you were little, I feared that I wouldn't be able to raise you properly. You loved to rebel back then. You always loved to go against everything I say and do everything you were told not to do. I was worried that you would stray and turn bad or fall into a difficult life."

Tonks shook her head, tears forming quickly. "I'd never stray mum," she sobbed softly.

Andromeda smiled. "And when you were growing up, I always worried we'd never be able to see eye-to-eye. We argued all the time and I would wonder what I did wrong that made you find me so unpleasant. I tell you these advices now because they are over with, but back then, I was truly afraid that we wouldn't get past those arguments, and I'd lose my daughter as she grows up. As you were getting older, we were growing further and further apart."

"Mum I'm sorry," Tonks sobbed, a tear falling from the corner of her eye.

"Don't cry sweetheart," Andromeda smiled tearfully. "It's your big day. Where's that brilliant smile that I'd always see," she laughed as Tonks grinned. "I'm so proud of you dear. And I am more than thankful that I get to see this day. We're finally getting along. We can finally see eye-to-eye with each other. I'm a grandmother. And my little girl is getting married," she smiled, the tears threatening even harder to fall.

"Mum I love you."

"Dora, I love you. You'll always be my little girl," Andromeda smiled and hugged Tonks tighter as they heard the soft knock on their door that would signal the time for Nymphadora Tonks to officially grow up and become a wife. Andromeda smiled and she continued to suppress the tears. It was a happy occasion and she shouldn't be crying. Her heart pounded like thunder in her chest as she held her daughter. She could remember holding Nymphadora from when she was an infant. She could remember holding the pink haired little toddler as a child. She remembered holding her as she screamed in joy the day she got her Hogwarts letter. She remembered holding her and kissing her head at graduations. Andromeda remembered holding Nymphadora when she passed the auror training program and was officially an auror. She also remembered the woeful night she held her daughter after a tough brush with a dark wizard and Tonks wounded up in St. Mungo's. She remembered holding her daughter the night after Tonks had given birth to her first child. And now there she was, holding her daughter the moment before she was going out to marry a wonderful young man, entirely worthy of her daughter.

* * *

><p>The weather was nice, nicer than it had been for a while. Remus stood in the middle of a small crowd, his usual shabby attire replaced with a classy white dress robe that day. He wanted to match Nymphadora as much as possible, and so the flower in his pocket was a bubblegum pink rose, no different from the brilliant shade of her hair. He kept licking his lips in nervousness and rubbing the back of his neck in anxiety. Remus looked around at the few people they'd invited to their wedding, people close to them both. His heart was beating at a dangerous pace and it fastened when Snuffles, the large black dog nudged him over to stand at the end of the aisle. Remus looked towards the door nervously.<p>

"You all right Remus?" Alexis asked him from behind.

He turned around and smiled at her, nervousness shaking him slightly. "Sort of."

"It's ok to be nervous," she smiled. "It's your wedding day."

"You don't know how many doubts and worries are going through my head right now," he laughed nervously while he shivered a slight bit from it.

"I have an idea," she told him and nodded. "It will be fine Remus."

"What if…what if she changes her mind?" he asked.

"Trust me. My cousin is stubborn as a rock. She wouldn't change her mind for anything. Besides, she loves you. You've got nothing to worry about."

"I can't help but worry however."

"That's right. Padfoot here told me that worrying is kind of your thing."

"Does Alastor Moody…" he gestured the rest with his eyes.

Alexis stood on her toes to look over Minerva McGonagall to see Evelyn and Deacon talking with Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt at least twenty feet away from them. The two uninformed aurors seem to not suspect a thing, and they were careful to keep Snuffles, the large black dog, away from their sharp eyes.

"No I don't think so," she reassured him.

"Who's holding Lydia?" Remus wondered.

"Uncle Ted is," Alexis smiled.

Just then, Ted Tonks walked over to them with baby Lydia in his arms. He was smiling at the child and looked up at Remus and Alexis happily. Ted could see that Remus was nervous and simply chuckled. It was the same for every man. When they proposed, it wasn't as nerve-wracking as standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for the love of their life to come forth. Having been through the stage, Ted understood perfectly.

"Lexi, can you take baby Lydia for a moment?" he asked her while smiling.

"Alright," Alexis sighed. "Leave the overworked bridesmaid with the dog _and_ the baby."

"Take her over to the best man," Ted smiled. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping you."

Alexis sighed and rolled her eyes as she walked away from them, waving Deacon over. Remus managed a small smile, feeling slightly bad for Alexis who had been overworked with planning the wedding while doing her own work as well. She was now stuck carrying his baby daughter, and holding the leash to his best friend in his animagus form that was now chasing his tail. Remus shook his head.

"Nervous Remus?" Ted asked in his mellow voice.

"A little," Remus breathed and nodded.

"That's how we all are," he smiled. "I'd tell you not to worry, but that's kind of your thing," he teased and patted Remus' shoulder.

"Thanks Ted," he managed another small smile as his attention was now taken by the line of guests who were there to congratulate him.

"Remus, you better treat Tonks well or you'll have the whole auror office on you," Kingsley warned but his smile betrayed him and he patted Remus' shoulder.

That didn't help him calm down and he smiled, thanking the man and nodding. Next were Deacon and Evelyn who only had one thing to say to him.

"You guys are practically already married," Evelyn teased.

"You shouldn't be _this_ nervous," Deacon smiled.

Arthur Weasley's brilliant smile took him by surprise and Remus had to blink twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things. There were four red headed people standing in front of him, all from the kind Weasley family with warm and gentle smiles on their faces. He only recognized two of the faces however. Arthur and Molly Weasley were grinning brightly at him. There were two young men standing behind them, their oldest sons perhaps.

"Remus!" Arthur greeted. "It's great to see you! I haven't heard from you for so long."

"Oh Remus I'm so happy for you," Molly smiled.

Remus nodded and thanked them. He hadn't seen them that often. The last time he'd stopped over at their homely abode was so long ago that he couldn't even remember exactly when. They had grown to know each other through the First Wizarding War, and Remus knew that there weren't many families quite as generous as the Weasleys. He smiled to them.

"Hey, I'm Bill Weasley," a tall young man with long, flaming red hair greeted him.

"And I'm Charlie, nice to meet you," another man smiled at him with similar features to Bill, his older brother perhaps as Charlie Weasley looked slightly younger.

"We're Tonks' friend and Alexis invited us," Bill smiled.

"It shocked me that she found my office address over in Romania," Charlie grinned. "Of course she knew to contact me through my work rather than my home, seeing that I spent more time there," he continued.

"Oh I've heard Nymphadora mention you. It's nice to meet you," Remus smiled.

Bill laughed. "I wouldn't call her Nymphadora too often."

"Bill still has that scar from seventh year when he accidentally called Tonks by her first name during one of her mood swings," Charlie teased.

Remus laughed with them and felt a little less tense as his laughter made him relax a bit. After he finished greeting the guests, he returned to his spot at the end of the aisle. For a moment he was alone and he was thankful for that. He used that time to recover his thoughts as soon would come the time where he and Nymphadora, his love, would be married finally. But then a thought hit him. He didn't know who would be marrying them.

They'd left Alexis free reign on planning the small wedding, and he had to thank her for the wonderful job she did. Even though it was small, the decorations were lovely and the day she chose was absolutely wonderful. Though somehow, Remus knew the young woman too well and could only expect that she'd planned something that would surprise him and Tonks on their wedding day. He began to worry about what she'd planned, adding onto his many worries, and his wonder on whom exactly was marrying him and Dora.

It couldn't be Deacon, he was the best man. Sirius obviously can't do it. In fact, Sirius couldn't do anything stupid that day, unless he wanted to go back to Azkaban. Minerva McGonagall didn't seem like she'd be marrying them either as she was busy talking with Ted Tonks about something. Alexis was too tied up with the baby to marry them. Evelyn was taking care of Sirius and it didn't seem like she'd be up for it. Kingsley Shacklebolt seemed like a perfect candidate, and even Arthur Weasley, but they just didn't seem like it'd be them. Remus continued to wonder, and soon before he knew it, the time came.

He felt Deacon's hand on his shoulder first and he turned around to see the kind smile of the young man, reassuring him. Remus looked down to see Snuffles, sitting at their feet. He met eyes with his best friend for a moment. Even though Sirius was in his animagus form, a dog, his eyes were still the same. He had the same Sirius-like look and he even winked at Remus. He managed a small smile to his friend and then recovered himself as he turned back to face the aisle, waiting to see his love come forth.

* * *

><p>When the doors opened, Tonks felt the outside air consuming her. She took slow steps, shaking slightly under her dress. She walked outside with her father guiding her, a small smile on her lips as nervousness took the best of her. She looked around and was surprised. She didn't mind the small wedding, in fact, seeing the closeness that was magically present there, she rather enjoyed it. She saw her mother who was seated in one of the white chairs, her hand covering her mouth as tears began forming in the corners of her eyes again. Tonks saw Kingsley and Evelyn and Sirius. Her smile brightened a little bit. She saw the Weasley family, Arthur and Molly Weasley, being close friends with Andromeda, and her two close friends, Bill and Charlie Weasley. That took her by surprise. She hadn't expected to see them. Then she turned to her cousin Alexis who was discreetly giving her two thumbs up and flashing her bright grin. Tonks' smile eased and brightened. And finally she looked down at the end of the aisle. Deacon was holding her little girl, standing beside Remus. Remus looked as stunning as ever in classy white dress robes, matching her attire completely. Tonks laughed a bit when he gave her a happy but nervous look. Tears began forming in her eyes.<p>

"Your mother told me to remind you not to cry," Ted muttered discreetly to her.

Tonks nodded slightly and glanced at her father, feeling the tears rushing up. She then forced her eyes back to the end of the aisle where she was coming closer. There were soft, soothing music in the background and it was hard not to smile. Her eyes fell on the man who was going to marry them and she mentally took a step back.

Her eyes showed surprise but then it turned into amusement. Tonks forced back her laughter as she turned again to look at Alexis who was now grinning brighter than ever. Tonks shook her head and let out a small laugh. Of course, she should have expected it. She should have expected to see her once close friends, Bill and Charlie Weasley again. It was after all, planned by Alexis Black. And the person marrying them, Tonks should have expected that one too. They were all worried Lexi was planning something big during the wedding. But Tonks nearly forgot that her cousin had always been one more on the way of subtlety.

And once she took her final steps, the way of laughter and smiles had made all her nervousness leave her body. Looking into Remus' eyes, she could see that he too had loosened up and was grinning now. It was all because of the surprise they had when they found out who was marrying them.

There he was, standing tall right beside them holding a book that looked too small for his large, warm but calloused hands. Mad-Eye Moody forced back a grunt as he nodded to Tonks and Remus. He was the one marrying them, and it had taken days of convincing on Alexis' part for him to agree. He had to give it to the young lawyer, she was very convincing.

"What have I gotten myself in to?" Moody questioned.

Tonks smiled at her old mentor and had to resist not teasing him. Remus forced back a laugh and simply stood there, holding his breath as he waited for the moment.

Moody moved his lips for a moment, seeming like he was about to say something but though better of it. Tonks quirked an eyebrow, wondering what was taking her old mentor so long. She then smiled when under his breath slipped out the words, "constant vigilance." Perhaps Alexis had told him not to stress on that well known fact, just for the occasion, but he couldn't resist. Tonks smiled wider.

"Do you, Remus John Lupin, take, Nymphadora Tonks, to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" Moody asked, attempting his best to make his scratchy voice more soothing and flowing.

"I do," Remus smiled.

"Do you, Nymphadora Tonks, take Remus Lupin…to do the same?" Moody asked, curling his lip upward slightly and skipping the rest of his lines.

Tonks had to hold back her soft laugh, but she could hear Alexis' snicker from behind her. "I do," said Tonks and she beamed.

"Exchange your wedding bands," Moody grunted, having given up on mellowing his rough voice.

Tonks and Remus faced each other with smiles on their faces as they slowly and gently placed the silver band on each other's finger, smiling wider than they ever had before.

"I now declare you man and wife…and you may kiss the bride," Moody announced, nearly forgetting the last part as he rolled his eyes, both human and magical.

Remus held Tonks' face slowly, smiling at her as he whispered softly to her while closing the distance between their lips. "You look beautiful," he told her.

"You look stunning," she smiled and whispered back.

"Just kiss," Moody interrupted them with a grunt.

Tonks laughed and Remus smiled, closing the final few inches quickly less Moody felt the need to push their heads together. They closed their eyes and kissed briefly but passionately and only pulled apart when they heard the cheers and laughter in the background.


	20. Epilogue: Mother and Father

**Chapter 20 – Epilogue: Mother and Father**

A tawny brown owl knocked on their kitchen window. In the middle of dinner, Sirius got up and opened the window for the bird, wondering why in the warm weather their kitchen window was closed, and why the owl didn't use any of the other open windows. He fed it an owl treat while quickly untying the letter from its leg. The owl then turned and scurried off back into the evening sky, flying back to a place far away from the home.

"Sirius what is it?" his best friend Remus called. Remus was holding baby Lydia with one arm while eating dinner with his other. It'd been five months and his little girl was getting so big. She was now strong enough to latch onto things and pull them over. That was why she was being handled by her dad rather than her still clumsy as ever mother.

"It's a letter from Harry," Sirius told them with a smile. "The boy's starting this third task tomorrow night. He's worried." He suddenly made a face. "Moony, you did teach my godson how to defend himself against anything right?"

"I only was his teacher for one year Sirius. But whatever I did teach him, I taught him to the best of my abilities."

"Hmm, alright," Sirius mumbled. "But if anything happens to my godson, I'm blaming you Moony. You're giving me a new one."

"Um…" Remus sounded, glancing at Nymphadora as he began to blush.

"Padfoot just sit down. You're making my husband blush like a school boy."

"No I'm serious. That wasn't meant to be a joke."

"Uh…" Remus continued as his cheeks flushed to a deep red.

They were suddenly interrupted by an innocent sound of laughter. Remus immediately looked down to the baby in his arms, a bright smile was spread across her lovely little face as her arms were outstretched, reaching for him.

He smiled and shifted baby Lydia up to look at his, her face smiling brighter as she saw her mother and father in her picture. Lydia's childish laughter rang through the house and soon Remus had recovered from his blush caused by his best friend.

"Cousin Padfoot is making fun of daddy," Tonks smiled and kissed her baby's cheeks.

"Hey, I wasn't making a joke!" Sirius defended but came over to the couple to grin at his laughing baby cousins. "Aw, aren't you adorable?"

"Don't worry Lydia, when you grow up you'll help me won't you?" Remus smiled.

"Not if my teachings get through to her," Sirius laughed.

"My daughter will be a good student Padfoot," Tonks sighed.

"You and Moony keep telling yourself that," Sirius smiled mischievously.

"Padfoot," Remus sighed and then grinned at his baby daughter who grinned even brighter and gave him an innocent baby laugh. "I will use that Dancing Legs Jinx on you again and this time I will have Lexi use one of her muggle devices to capture the moment of you dancing to the cancan," he warned and then blew a raspberry at Lydia.

"My husband the joker," Tonks laughed while picturing Sirius dancing to the cancan.

A look of embarrassment suddenly fell over Sirius' face. He knew Remus would keep true to his words, and he knew that his other cousin, Alexis Black, would somehow have an odd muggle contraption just capable of capturing the moment. It was a thing similar to their cameras, except the odd muggles chose to call it a video recorder.

"Trust me cuz, your husband isn't joking," Sirius told Tonks.

Baby Lydia simply laughed louder, squealing with a bright smile on her face as she looked at her cousin, her mother, and her father. Her looks were changing yet again, a gift of hers that would still take some time until she could master it. Her hair changed from raven black like her cousin Padfoot to bubblegum pink like her mother's, and finally she settled on a soft light brown to match her father's.

When Sirius reached to hold her, she waved her arms around and innocently smacked him right on his nose.

"Great, no one's ever on my side," Sirius sighed. "Pick on your cousin you baby wolf." He blew a raspberry at Lydia who only laughed more at him, thrashing her tiny arms around in excitement and once again, it hit him on the nose. Sirius huffed while Remus and Tonks continued to laugh, congratulating their daughter for already grasping the idea of how to pick on her cousin Padfoot.

It soon became a norm for them, every single day. Remus and Sirius would stay home to look after the baby while Alexis and Tonks were at work. When dinner time came, Lexi usually went on dates with her long time boyfriend Deacon, while Tonks stayed home and had dinner with her family. As for Sirius, on the days where Evelyn wasn't drowned in work, they would have their own little dinner date, out in the vast backyard of Alexis Black's house. On the days she was drowned in work, Sirius would spend the time with his best friend and cousins.

Had it been a year ago, just a short year ago, none of them would have thought that a simple, normal life like that was possible. But one year later and there they were, sitting around a table having dinner, teasing a sweet little child who was just barely able to understand their gestures. The modern house in the middle of nowhere in England was a peaceful place. Situated right between miles of rolling hills and trees, the laughter of the odd but loving family could be heard echoing on and on in the sweet silence of the warm summer night. And in the middle of the night, if one listened closely enough, they could hear a woman and a man, who had became a mother and a father, singing a soft and familiar lullaby to a sleeping child that brought them together. The peaceful nights were like magic, but no magic was involved.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

This is the end of "Save the Last Dance for Me". Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing and favoriting and alerting! I'm afraid I was unable to write a scene of Remus and Tonks following their wedding (I can't find the inspiration for a scene like that for this story). Though I'm sure that would've been a fun scene to write and read. So I apologize for the disappointment. Anyways, thanks for supporting me! I had fun writing this story and going my own way with a bunch of stuff. I also developed more on my own style in writing and now I can focus on "Life Like This"! Thanks for reading and supporting! Please keep supporting me by reading "Life Like This". xD I'm planning on making it into a little fan fiction series. xD Thank you so much!


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